The Thunder Blade descended in an instant!
It cleaved through the armor of Susanoo, splitting the Gedo Statue from its crown to its groin. The statue was severed in two, and the blade's force tore into the unyielding ground of the Immortal River, unleashing a thunderous storm beneath the earth. The resulting shockwave pushed the two halves of the ground inward, forming a sharp V-shaped trench.
Crash!
A resin-like white substance burst from the cracks in the Gedo Statue's body, leaving a massive splatter across the battlefield.
"Mother!!!" Black Zetsu screamed in anguish, as though mourning the loss of his entire world.
It was then that Naruto Uzumaki realized something was terribly wrong. "Damn it! The Gedo Statue is splitting apart! If this continues, won't the Ten-Tails and the Tailed Beasts die?!"
In haste, Naruto formed a series of hand seals, recalling a technique he had learned during his journey to Iwagakure alongside Ohnoki. It was a gift from Kitsuchi, a signature jutsu of the latter.
Earth Style: Mountain Soil Technique!
Boom! Boom!
The V-shaped trench began to close further, compressing the Gedo Statue between its two converging walls.
Roar!!! The two severed faces of the statue let out horrifying, yet distinct, roars of agony.
Kurama interjected, "What are you trying to do?!"
"I'm trying to press the statue's body back together!" Naruto shouted.
"You idiot! Do you think it's dough? That you can just knead it back into shape?!" Kurama retorted, exasperated.
"But if I don't do something, the Tailed Beasts—"
"Don't worry about it! That thing has an absurdly strong life force, and with eight Tailed Beasts' chakra coursing through it, it won't die just because it's been split in two. Besides, that pitch-black freak won't just sit idly by!"
"Really? Then I guess I can relax..." Naruto sighed, releasing the hand seals.
Boom! The Mountain Soil Technique was dispelled.
The severed halves of the Gedo Statue collapsed to either side.
Black Zetsu trembled, his voice filled with desperation. "Mother, are you in pain? Your child will save you immediately!"
Snap!
Disregarding his own safety, Black Zetsu channeled the senjutsu energy within Tobi's body into the Gedo Statue.
Creak! Creak! Creak!
Countless tree-like tendrils sprouted from the statue's severed surfaces. They intertwined, pulling and forcing the two halves back together.
Even as the senjutsu energy was depleted, the statue remained imperfectly mended, with a visible fissure still running along its body.
Roar!!! The Gedo Statue bellowed, its cries echoing across the battlefield.
Black Zetsu clasped his hands together, draining the lifeforce of Tobi's body, which was infused with Hashirama's cells, and channeling it into the statue using Wood Release. At last, the fissure closed completely.
Panting heavily, Black Zetsu stood over Tobi's body, now reduced to a skeletal husk, reminiscent of Nagato in his final days.
The Gedo Statue, now restored, writhed and sank back into Tobi's body.
After all, Tobi had once used the Six Paths: Ten-Tails Coffin Seal to become the Gedo Statue's Jinchuriki, forging an inseparable bond with it.
Naruto's gaze darkened. He wasn't moved by Black Zetsu's filial devotion. Instead, a memory of Madara's actions surfaced in his mind.
Whoosh!
Both Susanoo and Kurama's chakra cloak dissipated.
Clad in his golden chakra mantle, Naruto descended from the sky. He formed a series of hand seals and slammed his palms onto the ground. "Even if he's a Jinchuriki, in this weakened state, it should still work!"
Summoning Jutsu: Gedo Statue!
Boom!
The Gedo Statue, which had just returned to Tobi's body, was forcefully summoned by Naruto's jutsu.
"Ughhh!!!" Black Zetsu, still fused with Tobi, let out a blood-curdling scream as he resisted the summoning, attempting to sever its connection.
But then, Black Zetsu's expression shifted dramatically. "You... you're still here?!"
The original will of Tobi, which had been suppressed by Black Zetsu, had not been completely erased. It had merely been dormant within the body. Now, it awakened, opposing Black Zetsu's control.
"You wretched, lingering soul! Why now of all times?! Damn it!!!" Black Zetsu roared in frustration.
Crash!
With Tobi's internal resistance aiding Naruto's summoning, the Gedo Statue was fully extracted, severing its bond with the Jinchuriki. With a resounding bang, it appeared behind Naruto.
At last, Naruto had gained control of the Gedo Statue.
"Even though the Ten-Tails will inevitably be revived, I want to ensure that the initiative lies in my hands," Naruto said, his voice weary as he rose to his feet.
He continued, "A Jinchuriki will always die if their Tailed Beast is extracted. That's an unchanging rule. Tobi is done for. Black Zetsu, you should leave his body."
Black Zetsu had lost completely. He had gambled everything and come up short.
"Heh heh heh... Naruto Uzumaki, well played. I must admit, I underestimated you," Black Zetsu sneered, feigning defeat. As he began to peel away from Tobi's body, he suddenly raised his hand, aiming to gouge out Tobi's eyes.
"Fine, I'll leave, but those eyes stay with me!"
Slash!
Naruto's gaze sharpened. In a flash, he surged forward, severing Tobi's right arm—along with Black Zetsu's last remaining hold—using a lightning-infused strike.
Black Zetsu's black mass pooled on the ground, coalescing into a sinister, shadowy face.
"Naruto Uzumaki, you'd better take good care of the Gedo Statue. If anything happens to it, I'll make sure you pay dearly. Mark my words—I will drag you to the grave with my mother!" Black Zetsu spat venomously before vanishing into the night.
There was no way to kill him—not with his Yin-Yang Release body. Moreover, Naruto needed Black Zetsu alive to facilitate Kaguya's eventual resurrection.
Black Zetsu had once used Tobi's body, the Gedo Statue, and Madara's senjutsu energy to briefly surpass Naruto and claim the title of the strongest in the ninja world.
But all of that had now crumbled into nothingness with the loss of the Gedo Statue.
As Black Zetsu fled, Tobi lay on the ground, barely clinging to life.
Rain began to fall from the overcast sky, as though mourning the scene.
Naruto stepped forward, but—
"Let me go," Tobi's voice interrupted. "He is my will. Allow me to bid him farewell."
Naruto nodded and stopped.
Tobi approached the weakened husk of his own creation.
"Is that you, Lord Obito?" Tobi murmured, his gaze unfocused. "I'm sorry... I was useless to you..."
Obito's voice was heavy. "You were born from the darkest moment of my life. You are the proof of my madness and obsession. But I have chosen to abandon the darkness and seek redemption."
"I'm... sorry," Tobi whispered.
"No, it is I who should apologize," Obito said, his tone filled with regret. "It was my arrogance—thinking I controlled everything—that led to your suffering. I failed to notice Black Zetsu's manipulation, and now we are here."
"May I ask... do you regret creating me, something that should never have existed?" Tobi's voice trembled.
Obito clasped Tobi's frail hand firmly. "I do not regret it."
For the first time—and the last—Tobi smiled, a genuine smile from the depths of his heart.
"Your hand... it's so cold. Am I too cold...?" Tobi's eyes remained open, but the light within them had faded. He was gone.
Obito reached out and gently closed Tobi's eyes.
Whoosh!
The swirling vortex of Kamui absorbed Tobi's eyes.
Slowly, Obito stood up.
"Let him rest here, in the soil of the Immortal River," he said quietly.
And thus, Tobi was laid to rest in the place that bore his name.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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