Chapter 217 – The Sage's Brother? Even Tobirama Can't Compare!
Cough… cough…
Inside the Kamui dimension, Nagato hacked violently, his frail body trembling as Black Zetsu examined him. Uchiha Obito stood silently to the side, his expression unreadable.
Nagato's state was beyond miserable. His body, once restored to health, now looked utterly drained, bloodied and gaunt—reduced once again to skin and bones.
"He lost… this badly?" Obito muttered under his breath. Even he hesitated to say it aloud.
The battlefield around them was a mess—ruins, bloodstains, scars of fierce combat everywhere.
"Tch… that damned Kakashi. To think he could wield that eye so perfectly…"
Clenching his fists, Obito recalled his clash with Kakashi. The way that man wielded his eye was beyond belief, his mastery of Kamui and sheer ocular power far exceeding Obito's expectations.
"How the hell is that possible? Has he implanted Hashirama's cells?"
His gaze drifted to his right arm. During the fight, Kakashi had deliberately targeted it, striking with uncanny precision. And with the explosions that followed, Obito realized he had no choice but to retreat.
"Could that really be the reason?"
He dared not voice it further—it would sound like aiding the enemy.
Fortunately, Black Zetsu rose to his feet, drawing his attention.
"How is he?" Obito asked curtly.
"Not good," Black Zetsu admitted after a pause, his face unusually grim. "Kitagawa Gen… I don't know what technique he used, but he planted a special power inside Nagato. That energy is still eating away at him from within."
"Still… attacking him?"
Obito's face darkened.
"How long will this last? Don't tell me—"
"Relax. It won't last forever," Black Zetsu interrupted, his voice oddly flat. Truthfully, the fact that Nagato was even alive was shocking. The power inside him was alien, something Black Zetsu himself couldn't counter.
"…But," he continued, "once Nagato entered the Kamui dimension, its effect weakened."
"The Kamui space… suppresses it?" Obito frowned, confused.
"Yes," Nagato rasped suddenly. His voice was weak, his body trembling. But his true agony came not from physical pain—rather, from Kitagawa Gen's words.
'I see no difference at all.'
It had been three or four years since he vowed to walk the Sage's path anew. He thought his only true enemy was Otsutsuki Genshiki. Yet before even facing him, he was casually crushed by Kitagawa Gen.
If he had lost to Genshiki, he could've accepted it. But losing again to Gen? That was unbearable.
I am the heir of the Sage of Six Paths… I possess the Rinnegan… so why… why is this my fate?
Lifting his head, his voice cracked with desperation as he glared at Black Zetsu.
"Why? Why did I lose to Kitagawa Gen? Why has it come to this?!"
The weight of his question silenced Obito. He too knew the torment of failure. His gaze shifted toward Black Zetsu.
Zetsu hesitated, his expression oddly dazed. To see Nagato, who had endured even Genshiki's wrath without breaking, now unravel like this… it was unexpected. Still, it presented an opportunity.
"Obito… do you recall the inscription on the Uchiha Stone Tablet?"
"Of course." Obito nodded. Though his Mangekyō had limited sight, he had read enough—the Sage's warnings about the world, and a cryptic alternative solution.
He had long pursued that path. But why bring it up now? Unless…
"…Are you suggesting—"
"Yes. The passage about the 'Goddess Rabbit.'"
Obito's brows furrowed, stroking his chin as memories stirred. Nagato only looked more confused and pained.
"What are you talking about?" Nagato demanded hoarsely.
"It's an Uchiha secret," Obito said impatiently. "The tablet mentions someone else—a brother to the Sage of Six Paths."
The details were sparse. The battle against the Rabbit Goddess was recorded only in fragments, a few lines at most. Many dismissed it as myth.
But Black Zetsu shook his head.
"Can you still call it a myth? After all we've witnessed—the Otsutsuki, Genshiki's power, and now Kitagawa Gen… does he not fit the pattern?"
Obito fell silent. He couldn't deny it. The Ōtsutsuki were real, not legends. The Goddess bore the name Ōtsutsuki. If so, then the tablet's words might not be fable after all.
"Kitagawa Gen… inherited the power of the Sage's younger brother?"
Nagato's eyes widened, his despair giving way to desperate hope—like a drowning man clutching at driftwood.
If Gen was truly that extraordinary, then losing to him wouldn't mean Nagato was weak. He could still believe. He could still endure.
Black Zetsu gave a solemn nod. "Most likely. How else could one man master so much? Ice Release, Dust Release, Wood Release… even Flying Thunder God and Purple Lightning at such a young age. No ordinary shinobi could achieve that."
Obito's tone grew grave. "His talent is limitless. If he truly carries that bloodline… then he isn't just strong. He's inevitable."
Nagato whispered, half in awe, half in self-consolation:
"So it's true… he must be… no—he is the Sage's brother's heir…"
Though the proof was thin, it was the only answer that soothed his broken will.
"Rest for now," Black Zetsu said softly. "We'll uncover the truth soon enough."
Relieved that Nagato had calmed, he caught Obito's subtle signal and moved aside with him.
"Tell me honestly," Obito muttered under his breath. "Do you really believe it? That Kitagawa Gen… is that?"
After confirming that Nagato couldn't hear them, Obito finally spoke in disbelief. Black Zetsu only shook his head.
"Not certain—but highly possible. Since the Uchiha stone tablet mentioned it, the Senju clan's relics might hold related clues as well."
"Senju relics, huh…" Obito sighed. "How's the search going?"
"Almost pinned down, but Konoha's been watching closely. I'll need to move carefully."
"Then speed it up. And one more thing—Itachi Uchiha is dead."
"…What?"
Black Zetsu froze. Itachi… dead?
"Wasn't he supposed to be Sasuke's opponent? What about the Seven-Tails?"
"We didn't capture the Seven-Tails, but we did gather its chakra. As for Itachi…"
Obito's gaze darkened.
"Who knows—maybe he wanted to die. Either way, it saves us trouble. Orochimaru can resurrect him later with Edo Tensei. More convenient that way."
Obito had always known Itachi harbored his own agenda. In the past, losing such a capable pawn would've been regrettable. But now? His death was… useful.
"And investigate the matter of the Sage's younger brother as well."
Obito steadied his tone. Despite the crushing defeat, they hadn't come away empty-handed. Compared to past failures, this one was… acceptable.
"I'll retrieve the others. I'll leave the rest to you."
"…Fine."
Black Zetsu sighed helplessly, watching Obito vanish. He glanced back at Nagato, who seemed to have regained some confidence, and let out another long breath.
"Looks like I'll have to prepare the Hyūga relics as well…"
A headache loomed.
Meanwhile, Kitagawa Gen's expression was unreadable.
"You actually killed him?"
"Mission accomplished, senior." Sasuke's voice trembled with excitement, though there was a shadow of sorrow beneath it.
"I killed him, but… it feels empty."
"Don't worry," Kakashi placed a hand on Sasuke's shoulder. "If your family knew, they'd be proud of you."
Naruto raised a thumbs-up. He could now understand Sasuke's pain—having everything, only to lose it all. If the chakra of my parents vanished from inside me, could I really stay calm?
Though he disliked the idea of brothers killing each other, he still chose to support Sasuke—especially since Itachi had been a traitor and criminal.
"Not bad, kid," Jiraiya chuckled, patting Sasuke's shoulder. But his smile quickly faded into a sigh.
"Too bad Orochimaru escaped. The Seven-Tails is safe, but the enemy still took its chakra. And this place…"
He looked back at the near-ruined Hidden Waterfall Village and rubbed his temples.
Tobirama's warning really was prophetic…
Even if this outcome hadn't been intentional, reality had played out just as he'd feared. Was that good—or bad? Jiraiya couldn't say.
"Gen, you don't look too happy. Why's that?"
The Sannin glanced around, noticing that Kitagawa Gen was unusually silent. Everyone else turned to him with curiosity.
"…A shame he died," Gen murmured.
Sasuke frowned. "What do you mean, senior?"
"You were too eager. He may have deserved death, but did you forget about Edo Tensei?"
"…!"
"When he was alive, he was frail and already close to collapse. Dying only set him free. That's the real pity."
"…"
"If it were me, I'd have severed his limbs, dug out his eyes, sealed his chakra. Then drag him back to Konoha, cut out his tongue so he couldn't kill himself, and let him live in suffering. That way, there'd be no risk of resurrection, and he'd pay for his sins every single day."
A chill spread through the group.
"That would've been true atonement. Sasuke, you're still too young."
The air grew heavy with silence. Naruto and Sasuke both shivered at his words.
In that moment, they finally understood why Tobirama Senju once said—
"This boy… is even more ruthless than me."