"Konan, my Wood Clone's Chakra is running low and can no longer control the Six Paths of Pain."
In the sky, Deva Path Pain looked down at the battlefield below and lied to Konan beside him in a calm tone, "The battle on the main body's side will take some time to finish. Take Yahiko's body away first, and then wait for the main body's signal to connect to Deva Path Pain."
"Alright."
Konan didn't have any doubts. She used Dance of the Shikigami to create a large amount of paper, wrapped Deva Path Pain in it, and flew away from Amegakure with him.
After a day and a night of fighting, besides Konan, everyone else from the Akatsuki had already left the battlefield.
Even Kisame Hoshigaki, the Tailed Beast without a Tail, couldn't sustain his Chakra for a day and a night.
Moreover, the Human Puppet army's Lightning Release Chakra Mode and Flying Thunder God Technique countered Kisame Hoshigaki's Water Release and Chakra absorption.
On this battlefield of the Human Puppet army and the Reanimation Jutsu army, they, the living, were at a significant disadvantage.
Killing a Human Puppet, for Toneri Otsutsuki, was at most a loss of some materials.
As for corpses, he could always restock from the Five Great Shinobi Villages.
On the other hand, if they were injured or killed, they would only have themselves to blame and would deserve it.
Furthermore, Human Puppets didn't have blood, and the Lightning Release Chakra Mode countered Deidara's explosive clay. Even the two idiots, Hidan and Deidara, were unwilling to go all out, let alone the others.
Nagato didn't care about their departure, and even tacitly approved it.
It was indeed too difficult for them to fight with all their might in this battle of the undead.
It was enough that they could help him deal with a portion of the Human Puppets.
After a day and a night of the final battle, the Human Puppet army had gone from having the advantage to being at a disadvantage.
Although the Chakra volume of half of the Nine Tails was stronger than a complete Eight Tails, it was ultimately not truly infinite Chakra.
In contrast, the Reanimation Jutsu army not only had infinite Chakra but also immortality.
If they couldn't use the Book of Sealing to seal the Reanimation Jutsu undead during the few seconds of stiffness while their bodies were being repaired, then the previous attacks would have been a waste of Chakra.
At first, Izayoi's Wood Clone and Nagato's Wood Clone couldn't attend to every Human Puppet and Reanimated undead.
But as the number of damaged Human Puppets and Reanimated undead increased, the number of Human Puppets and Reanimated undead each Wood Clone was responsible for also drastically decreased to a certain extent.
From that moment on, the battle was no longer a one-on-one fight but a coordinated effort filled with tacit understanding.
For severely damaged Human Puppets, Izayoi's Wood Clone wouldn't give the Reanimated undead a chance to shatter them. Instead, they would control the Human Puppets to use the Flying Thunder God Technique, or have other Human Puppets use the Heavenly Transfer Technique to send the severely damaged Human Puppets away.
Similarly, if the bodies of the Reanimated undead were blown apart, other undead wouldn't give the Human Puppets a chance to seal them.
As a result, only the Human Puppet army suffered losses, naturally turning the advantage into a disadvantage.
Unable to seal the Reanimated undead meant being unable to obtain their Perks.
Izayoi's points hadn't increased for a long time.
However, the situation on Nagato's Wood Clone's side, while seemingly advantageous, wasn't much better.
If the Wood Clone didn't only need to control the Reanimated undead to fight and didn't need to consume much Chakra, the Chakra would have been completely exhausted after a day and a night of fighting, turning them into small trees.
And the Wood Clone responsible for controlling the Six Paths of Pain had already run out of Chakra.
The Six Paths of Pain and the members of the Akatsuki also collectively retreated.
Without Chakra replenishment, once Nagato's Wood Clones automatically dispersed, the Reanimated dead would lose the control of Kage-level powerhouses.
If Nagato didn't restore their consciousness, these dead would be puppets without self-awareness, fighting purely on instinct.
At that time, the Human Puppet army, whose Chakra levels had plummeted, would once again gain the upper hand.
"I'm sorry, Konan..."
Watching Konan leave, Nagato's Wood Clone controlled the Animal Path to use the Reverse Summoning Technique, leaving a simple suicide note for Konan. He then disconnected the signal to the Six Paths of Pain and whispered, "I'm afraid I can't fulfill Yahiko's dream. I hope you don't take your own life and live well for me and Yahiko."
"Leader, we haven't lost yet."
Just as Nagato's Wood Clone was recalling the other Wood Clones to recover Chakra, preparing to use his last strength to die honorably with his main body.
A slightly hoarse voice suddenly entered his ears.
Black and White Zetsu emerged from the ground, their upper bodies visible, and spoke to Nagato.
"Zetsu, you haven't left yet?" Nagato said, slightly surprised.
Uchiha Obito had already run away, and he thought Black and White Zetsu had also run away.
Were these two guys not in the same group?
"Leader, we still have a trump card."
Black and White Zetsu took out a scroll and said to Nagato, "With this Reanimation Jutsu trump card, you can definitely turn the tide."
Nagato didn't feel happy, but said meaningfully, "Since you have such a trump card, why didn't you take it out before?"
"Because Obito wouldn't let us," Black Zetsu directly sold out Uchiha Obito and said, "He said that if this trump card fell into your hands, perhaps you would no longer need him."
Nagato was silent, but in his heart, he confirmed one thing.
Uchiha Obito, it seemed he and Black and White Zetsu... were not in the same group.
What that guy said to him in the Kamui Dimension was indeed not the truth.
All that talk about the Uchiha Clan bearing the mission to guide the Rinnegan users was a lie.
His Rinnegan was indeed not innate, but was transplanted into him when he was very young.
He and Uchiha Obito were just pawns of the person behind the scenes.
Black and White Zetsu were very likely the monitors of him and Uchiha Obito.
Only then would Uchiha Obito be wary of Black and White Zetsu, and Tobi would choose himself without hesitation between Uchiha Obito and himself.
The trump card in this scroll might be that... person behind the scenes.
Nagato already had a guess in his heart, but he still needed confirmation.
So, he said, "Open the trump card and let me see."
"Yes."
Black and White Zetsu didn't know that Nagato had already guessed what the trump card was, and quickly opened the scroll, taking out the contents inside.
With a bang, smoke filled the air.
A corpse, restored by Hashirama Cells, White Zetsu cells, and the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, unlike the withered old man it was at the time of death, but returned to its prime, appeared.
Seeing this corpse, a hint of realization flashed in Nagato's eyes, and he murmured, "Uchiha... Madara."
"The First Hokage's soul has been sealed by the Death God, but the Shinobi World's Asura's corpse is in our hands," Black Zetsu said. "With a White Zetsu clone as a sacrifice, Madara Uchiha's strength will be infinitely close to what it was in life. With the leader's strength, he can completely control Madara Uchiha's body. As long as we have another super-level combatant, we can turn the tide."
"Is it just Reanimation Jutsu?"
Nagato looked at Black and White Zetsu with a half-smile and asked, "Isn't it Rinne Rebirth?"
White Zetsu's expression instantly became blank.
Black Zetsu also paused slightly, then revealed a strange smile and said, "There's nothing we could do, Leader, your changes were too great, we could only resort to this inferior method."
The next second, Nagato's expression stiffened slightly.
Immediately, he looked at Black Zetsu, who had detached from White Zetsu's body, and said flatly, "Does Tobi also have this ability?"
"Tobi is a simple child, his task is just to prevent you, Leader, from destroying the Rinnegan."
Black Zetsu, who had attacked Nagato from behind through the ground with his lower body and successfully possessed Nagato, while controlling Nagato to raise his hand to form a hand seal, sighed, "We originally just wanted to help you recover to your peak, so you would have the strength to resist Toneri Otsutsuki. We didn't expect you to be so outstanding, you're like a completely different person. As expected... the genius carefully selected by Lord Madara, who awakened the bloodlines of both the Uzumaki Clan and the Senju Clan, and is most suitable for transplanting the Rinnegan!"
Looking at the White Zetsu clones emerging from the ground, Black Zetsu and Nagato's Wood Clone shouted in unison, "*Ninja Art... Impure World Reincarnation!*"
As the tadpole-shaped incantations spread out, screams immediately echoed.
Before long, a terrifying amount of Chakra appeared in the darkness of the underground base.
A domineering voice, with a hint of praise, rang out.
"Finally, this day has come. That kid Nagato has finally grown up."
Looking at the man in a black tight-fitting combat suit, with red layered armor on the outside, long black hair, and cracks all over his body, Black Zetsu and White Zetsu both smiled and said, "Lord Madara, welcome back!"
"You've worked hard, Black Zetsu, White Zetsu, and Nagato... Hmm?"
Just as Madara Uchiha was about to praise the contributors to the plan, as if sensing something, he looked down at his hands emitting white light, his brows slightly furrowed, and said, "No sensation, and this feeling of crumbling, it's Reanimation Jutsu, not Rinne Rebirth?"
"Sorry, Lord Madara, there was an unexpected turn in the plan, we could only revive you this way," Black Zetsu said with a hint of apology.
Madara Uchiha didn't speak, but quickly formed hand seals with both hands, then squatted down and slammed the ground.
The next second, the white light covering his entire body dissipated, and Nagato's main body instantly lost control of Madara Uchiha.
"What's going on?"
Madara Uchiha, who had regained control of the Reanimation Jutsu, asked Black Zetsu.
Black Zetsu didn't speak, but detached from Nagato's Wood Clone's body and attached himself to Madara Uchiha.
In an instant, a large amount of images and information flooded into Madara Uchiha's mind.
"Moon visitor, Toneri Otsutsuki, Tenseigan, retrieving the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, Izayoi..."
Madara Uchiha quickly digested this information, and a look of interest appeared on his face, saying, "Interesting, the Shinobi World actually hides such a secret. No wonder you revived me in this way, you've truly worked hard."
"This era is even more exciting than the era of Lord Madara and Hashirama Senju," White Zetsu said with a teasing smile.
"Hmph, they're still far from it," Madara Uchiha said with his arms crossed, a look of disdain on his face. "While it's truly remarkable that they possess this level of strength at such a young age, their Wood Release and eye power are still a distance away from Hashirama and me."
Whether it was the meteor shower, the Heavenly Obstacle Shaking Star, or the Wood Human Technique, none of it was particularly impressive.
Because compared to Hashirama Senju's Sage Art Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands - Top Transformed Buddha, the Wood Human Arhat was merely an ornament on the head of the Thousand-Handed Buddha statue.
Similarly, once he was fully resurrected and regained his Rinnegan, he would gain absolute control over the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path and unlock the Rinnegan's exclusive eye technique, Limbo: Border Jail.
If the Tenseigan only had that level of performance, it wasn't worth mentioning at all.
"The Rinnegan, it really is yours."
At this moment, Nagato's voice reached his ears.
Looking at Nagato, who had regained control of his body and showed no resistance or panic, Madara Uchiha's eyes were filled with admiration. "You were able to hold out against the combined efforts of those two brats. You truly are the one I chose. Resurrect me, Nagato, this is your mission."
"Uchiha Obito, is he your pawn?" Nagato asked.
"That's right, he is also my proxy," Madara Uchiha nodded.
"Your goal is to collect the nine Tailed Beasts to revive the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, become the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki, and use the strongest Chakra to plunge everyone in the Shinobi World into a dream?" Nagato continued to ask.
"You know all this? Did Obito tell you?" Madara Uchiha was slightly surprised, then nodded without hiding anything. "That's right, my goal is the same as yours, to achieve peace. However, unlike your method of military deterrence, I want to sever the causality of the world and achieve eternal peace."
"Don't you know that this will lead to the extinction of humanity?" Nagato said the same words he had once said to Uchiha Obito.
"Humanity will not go extinct."
Madara Uchiha smiled. "Once I become the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki, I will be the second Sage of Six Paths, possessing power that no one can resist. I will immerse most of humanity in beautiful dreams, release a small portion of humanity to reproduce, and then let them enter the beautiful dreams again, repeating the cycle."
"What about when you die?" Nagato asked again.
"I won't die."
Madara Uchiha spread his hands, smiling confidently. "Just as I stand before you now."
Nagato remained silent.
After a long time, he slowly said, "Don't you think this method is a form of escape?"
"Yes, it is a form of escape."
Unlike Uchiha Obito, who was broken down, Madara Uchiha agreed with Nagato's statement, his eyes filled with the vicissitudes of life. "However, in this world where war is endless, the average lifespan is extremely low, and human nature is full of darkness, like a hell, countless people want to become this escapee."
"They need a savior of the world, and I... I am their savior of the world!"
"But you are depriving others of their happiness!" Nagato retorted.
"There are always sacrifices in war, and the Eye of the Moon Plan is no different," Madara Uchiha said with firm eyes. "I am only depriving a small portion of people of their reality's happiness, but I am allowing everyone in the Shinobi World to be immersed in eternal happiness, eliminating the causality of peace requiring war, success requiring failure, and health requiring illness, and so on... Do you think it's worth it?"
Looking at Madara Uchiha, who was completely genuine, just like Yahiko and himself, Nagato was left speechless and could only sigh, "This is not the peace that Yahiko and I desire."
"This is what I admire about you, Nagato," Madara Uchiha smiled. "Your method of achieving peace is very similar to Hashirama's. You truly are a descendant of the Uzumaki Clan and the Senju Clan. But the current Shinobi World is the result of your and Hashirama's approach. Since that's the case, why not join me in creating another kind of peace?"
"I promise you, if this peace cannot be achieved, I will release all of humanity."
Madara Uchiha extended his hand to Nagato, inviting him. "Join me in severing the causality of the world, Nagato."
Nagato's eyes trembled slightly, but soon became firm again. He shook his head and said, "I still believe that this is not the peace that Yahiko and I desire. However, I am willing to resurrect you and return the Rinnegan to you, and witness your method of peace as an observer."
"Don't worry, the world will become better than it is now, it definitely will," Madara Uchiha said with a determined expression.
Black Zetsu, who had already detached himself from Madara Uchiha, stood by in silence, constantly recalling the hardships of the past thousand years, just to keep himself from laughing out loud.
-----------
This high quality machine translation is powered by: https:// randomtranslator.com/
To read the full translation, as well as more than 444+ fanfic and original translations or request new translations, check out: https:// randomtranslator.com/
You can also join the RandomTranslator community on Discord to connect with other readers: https:// discord.gg/NSWvfN7vua
-----------