"Kakuzu, don't get too carried away. I've already sent the Rinnegan away, and I've also prepared a special gift for you. I'm sure you'll love it..."
Black Zetsu wanted to keep talking, but his body was already completely encased in stone, embedded at the very core. As the last slab of rock rose, it covered the single exposed eye that remained. In the sky above, the massive boulder had taken shape, resembling a moon hanging in the heavens.
Chibaku Tensei—complete.
The protagonist of Black Zetsu's "Rescue Mother" plan had just been eliminated by Kakuzu. Now, it was time to deal with the "supporting cast."
But before that, Kakuzu had something else to do.
Walking over to Nagato, he found the man lying on the ground, barely clinging to life. His once-vibrant red hair had faded to a stark white. Kakuzu placed his hand over Nagato's chest, channeling Yin-Yang Release.
Yin and Yang—the source of all creation.
Kakuzu was extending Nagato's life.
Under the influence of Yin-Yang Release, color gradually returned to Nagato's face. His sunken eye sockets filled out again. Though he had lost the Rinnegan, his original eyes had regrown.
...
While Kakuzu was treating Nagato, a different situation was unfolding elsewhere.
Perched on a rock, Uchiha Madara rested his chin on his hand, waiting for his Rinnegan to arrive. But something was wrong—his eyes had been intercepted.
"Obito... what are you doing?!"
White Zetsu, holding the Rinnegan, stared in horror at Obito standing before him.
Obito had no interest in a long conversation.
"Kamui!"
With a distortion of space, White Zetsu was torn in half before he could react. The two severed Rinnegan fell, and Obito caught them effortlessly.
Then, in a decisive move, he plucked out his left Sharingan and replaced it with Madara's Rinnegan.
Was it a fair trade, swapping Kamui for the power of the Rinnegan? Hard to say.
But Obito had no regrets.
Clenching his fist, he felt the surge of power within him.
"Yin Release, Yang Release... the power is even greater now!"
He had learned the fundamentals of Yin-Yang Release from Madara. Though not yet a master, he could now wield it with ease.
Pressing a hand to the ground, intricate summoning seals spread outward.
"Gedo Statue, come forth!"
With a deafening roar, the monstrous Gedo Statue erupted from the earth, standing imposingly before Obito.
"Enter," Obito ordered.
The captured Jinchuriki, under his control, leaped into the statue's gaping maw. With each one absorbed, another eye on the Gedo Statue's forehead snapped open.
"Now, there's just one more thing to do."
Obito activated Kamui, phasing out of the space.
...
On another battlefield, Nagato's eyes fluttered open.
Tears welled in his eyes.
"Lord Kakuzu, I..."
Recalling everything, Nagato felt useless. He had tried so hard to suppress his killing intent, yet in the end, he had merely paved the way for Madara's plans.
"Enough. This isn't your fault. You've done well—no one blames you."
Kakuzu reassured him. Few could escape the machinations of someone like Madara. Nagato had simply been caught in an inescapable web.
"Lord Kakuzu."
Hearing his name, Kakuzu turned.
A woman with short golden hair approached. She exuded an icy demeanor, her figure just as striking as her combat prowess—on par with Tsunade and Ni.
She was Samui, a kunoichi from Kumogakure and a sensory-type ninja who had joined the war effort.
"What is it?"
"We've received word from Ryūgakure. Something major has happened. You should return at once."
Ryūgakure was Kakuzu's stronghold. If trouble had reached there, the situation was dire.
Kakuzu's eyes narrowed.
...
Ryūgakure.
Surrounded by hundreds of shinobi, a towering Susanoo loomed ominously.
Despite appearances, it wasn't the shinobi who had trapped Obito—it was quite the opposite.
"So you're the infamous Obito."
"We won't let you take the Seven-Tails."
"Even if it costs us our lives, we'll stop you here!"
The warriors of Ryūgakure were ready to fight to the death.
Obito, however, remained cold and expressionless.
"With what?"
He unleashed a swirling inferno from his right eye.
"Fire Release: Storm Dance!"
The blazing flames tore through the ranks of Ryūgakure's shinobi, scattering them like leaves.
Though battered, they quickly formed hand seals, preparing to retaliate.
Boom!
With a sudden burst of smoke, Ni appeared atop the Seven-Tails.
"Rokuno, evacuate immediately!"
Rokuno hesitated, shocked. "But—"
"This is an order from Lord Kakuzu. Do as I say!"
After a brief moment of resistance, Rokuno clenched his jaw and nodded. "Understood!"
He and the remaining shinobi swiftly withdrew.
Now, only the towering Susanoo and the Seven-Tails remained.
Ni crouched beside the enormous beast, running her hand gently over its fur.
"Chōmei, this might be tough on you."
The Seven-Tails rumbled, its many eyes calm.
"I trust you. And I trust Kakuzu."
Over the years, Kakuzu had kept his promise—granting Chōmei unprecedented freedom instead of locking it away as a mere weapon. If they survived this battle, Kakuzu wouldn't hesitate to let Chōmei experience true freedom.
"Thank you."
Ni gave the creature a reassuring pat before leaping away. As she glanced back at the colossal Susanoo, she turned and fled.
Watching his opponents retreat one by one, Obito found it suspicious.
It was obviously a trap.
But did that matter to him?
"Kakuzu, no matter what you try, you can't stop me. A new world is the only true path to peace."
He formed a single-handed seal.
The Gedo Statue rose once more.
From its mouth, countless chains shot out, binding the Seven-Tails.
Chōmei did not resist.
With a flick of his wrist, Obito pulled the massive beast into the statue's gaping maw.
"Hmph. Kakuzu, you won't believe what's about to happen next."
Activating Kamui, Obito vanished, reappearing on the original battlefield.
Behind him stood the towering Gedo Statue, its presence casting a massive shadow over the war-torn land.
Standing atop its head, Obito surveyed the thousands of shinobi below him.
"It's time for this world to awaken."
The Gedo Statue beneath them began to move at that moment. Its form seemed to be changing.
"Oh? Interesting. How did he manage to gather all nine Tailed Beasts?" The transformation of the Gedo Statue's body indicated that it had absorbed enough energy. Could it be that while retrieving the Seven-Tails, Obito also made a trip to Konoha and eliminated his teacher's wife?
"Lord Kakuzu just confirmed it. Minato-sensei said that Kushina-sama is still being protected inside the barrier. Obito didn't get the Nine-Tails' chakra," Kakashi stepped forward, his expression heavy.
"Oh? If he didn't obtain the Nine-Tails' chakra, then how do you explain what's happening to the Gedo Statue? It looks like it's about to transform into something else!"
Kakashi was silent for a moment before finally speaking.
"This is embarrassing to admit, but Kushina-sama might not be the only person in this world who possesses the Nine-Tails' chakra. According to Anbu intelligence, there was once a monk at the Fire Temple in the Land of Fire who also underwent partial Nine-Tails transformation."
"The Fire Temple is a sacred place of Buddhism and one of the locations most closely watched by the daimyo. To prevent unnecessary disturbances, the daimyo deliberately concealed this information. Only the Hokage and a select few knew about it. I only learned of it recently."
"Oh, I remember now." Kakuzu tapped his forehead, realizing he had nearly forgotten about this matter.
The Nine-Tails' chakra in this world could be divided into three parts. The largest portion—over ninety percent—was sealed within Kushina. Another portion had belonged to the Gold and Silver Brothers, but their chakra had already been absorbed by Kakuzu and converted into his summoning technique: the Nine Masked Beasts.
The last remaining fragment had leaked out during the Nine-Tails' rampage and was absorbed by a member of the Twelve Guardian Ninja named Sora. His father, Kazuma, had infused it into his body, allowing him to undergo a partial Nine-Tails transformation.
Considering all this, Kushina was fine, and the Gold and Silver Brothers had not been resurrected. That meant the Nine-Tails' chakra now present in the Ten-Tails' body must belong to this boy, Sora.
"Alright then. If Obito managed to find this intel, I have to admit he caught me off guard!"
Cracking his neck, Kakuzu stepped forward to the front lines of the battlefield, lifting his gaze to meet Obito, who stood atop the Gedo Statue.
"Come on, I'll give you time. Summon the Ten-Tails!"
Kakuzu's confidence made Obito scoff. He could not afford to lose here.
Just as Obito prepared to act, a figure suddenly appeared beside him.
"Obito, you're as slow as ever."
Uchiha Madara glanced at him sideways.
"If you think it's so easy, why don't you do it? Why haven't you killed Kakuzu yet?"
"Heh. That guy has been planning for this day for a long time. It's not surprising that some unexpected developments occurred. But everything is still within my control. In the end, he's nothing more than a fleeting obstacle."
Obito simply looked at him in silence. No matter how much Madara downplayed it, Obito had his own plans.
"It's all up to you now."
Obito threw a bloodstained white object towards Madara, who caught it with one hand—it was his Rinnegan.
...
Grabbing and switching eyes around wasn't exactly sanitary. But when installing a lightbulb, there was no need to be so particular.
Madara pressed the eye into his right socket, restoring his vision in that eye. His left eye, however, remained in Obito's possession.
"That works. Just move quickly."
With that, Madara shifted his gaze to Kakuzu. Their eyes locked, and sparks seemed to fly in the air between them.
Their plan was simple: Madara would hold the front line while Obito became the Ten-Tails' Jinchuriki. On the surface, it seemed like a solid strategy.
"The protagonist is already dead. If I kill Obito before you do and destroy the remaining Rinnegan, Uchiha Madara, you might as well say goodbye to this world."
The third eye on Kakuzu's forehead slowly opened as he prepared to make his move.
BOOM!
A thunderous roar from the horizon seized everyone's attention. Tens of thousands of people simultaneously turned their gazes towards the source of the sound—far to the east, in the Land of Water.
Though it was already dusk, the sky in that direction looked as if a massive black hole had opened. Even from such a great distance, its presence was unmistakably clear.
"What's going on?" Kakuzu turned to Samui.
Samui had no immediate answer and quickly contacted their outpost in the Land of Water.
Even Madara, who had been poised to engage Kakuzu, paused and shifted his focus towards the abyss in the sky.
He turned to Obito. "What are you up to now?"
Obito frowned. "Me? I should be asking you! Wasn't this part of your plan?"
"Hah! Who would waste their time on such a pointless spectacle?"
Although Obito and Madara were allies in name, they each harbored their own ambitions. Their visions for the world differed greatly. But judging by their expressions, neither of them seemed responsible for this anomaly.
Which meant only one possibility remained—someone else was behind this.
"Lord Kakuzu!" Samui reported. "Our outpost in the Land of Water has sent an urgent message. They don't know why, but a massive black hole has appeared in the sky, devouring everything around it. Lightning, thunder, tidal waves—it's as if the entire nation is on the verge of catastrophe!"
If this was a natural disaster, then Kirigakure's luck had simply run out. But it was clearly something more.
Kakuzu rubbed his forehead, feeling a headache coming on.
"Black Zetsu… I have to give you credit. Surviving in this world for a thousand years isn't easy. Your methods are indeed impressive."
Though Black Zetsu had already been sealed away, he had still achieved his ultimate goal.
The resurrection of Kaguya Otsutsuki.
As for whose body had been used for her revival, the most suitable candidate wasn't even Madara—it was Ōtsutsuki Jinichi, someone with pure Ōtsutsuki blood.
(T/N: Otsutsuki Jinichi -the father of Otsutsuki Toneri)
His connection to Kaguya made him a more fitting vessel than anyone else.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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