Above the Ten-Tails, Uchiha Madara was getting the full briefing.
Everything that happened after he'd been sealed away—how the reinforcements Yakushi Kabuto brought fought, how they seized the Kohaku no Jōhei (Amber Purifying Bottle), how the Jinchūriki (Tailed Beast Hosts) appeared, how Senju Hashirama was sealed, and so on.
Even though he hadn't seen the exact moment Hashirama got sealed, he could more or less guess what went down.
Madara's eyes lit up with realization. "So Hashirama got screwed because Natsuki baited him with a ridiculously huge Bijūdama (Tailed Beast Ball), and that's why he got sealed? Now that makes sense! No way someone like Hashirama gets sealed that easily otherwise. And everything Natsuki said was definitely a lie—brat's rotten to the core!"
Everyone fell silent.
The legendary "Shinobi no Shura"… why was he nonstop "Hashirama, Hashirama, Hashirama"?
So was the relationship between Madara and Hashirama good, or was it bad?
Then Madara's eyes abruptly shifted into the Rinnegan. The Ten-Tails immediately extended a tube and plugged it into the back of his head, and he began controlling the Ten-Tails directly.
And—rare praise from him—he added, "At least you managed to take back four of the tailed beasts. Not bad."
But his expression wasn't all approval. There was irritation too—clearly, the fact that the Gedō Mazō (Demonic Statue of the Outer Path) had lost two legs had him in a foul mood.
Also, all five Jinchūriki were supposedly accounted for, yet none of them had reported in for ages.
It made Obito look incompetent.
So Madara decided he'd handle it himself. He didn't care how strong the Allied Shinobi Forces were—snatching five Jinchūriki should be effortless.
Then he remembered something else. "You said you threw the Kohaku no Jōhei straight into the Gedō Mazō's mouth. Fine. But what about the Jinchūriki inside the bottle? They're Edo Tensei (Impure World Reincarnation)—they're our manpower. Why didn't you release them to fight?"
"Uh… well…"
Obito froze up. It wasn't even that he was lying—he genuinely hadn't thought about it.
Madara's face darkened instantly. "What are you even good for? No wonder this battle's been so suffocating. You've got combat power sitting in your pocket and you don't know how to use it. You deserve to get bullied."
As he spoke, he controlled the Ten-Tails and forced it to spit them out.
Five people hit the ground.
Yugito, Rōshi, Han, and Utakata—four Edo Tensei Jinchūriki.
And Nagato.
Madara's mood flipped immediately. "Hahahaha! Nagato—welcome back. Now keep fighting for the Tsuki no Me Keikaku (Plan of the Eye of the Moon)!"
He rated Nagato highly—at the very least, far more than Obito.
And now that Nagato was Edo Tensei, paired with Sharingan control, he could unleash absurd power.
This battle just got that much more secure.
Nagato stood there, stunned. Hadn't he already been sealed inside the Kohaku no Jōhei? How was he out again?
He didn't want to listen to Madara, but his body wouldn't obey. For a moment, he almost wanted to die all over again—he didn't want to be a tool anymore. He didn't want to keep making mistakes.
On Natsuki's side, he flashed onto Sasuke's Susanoo (Armored Avatar) shoulder.
Tsunade, Mei, Ay and Bee, Jiraiya, and the others had lost their opponents as well once Senju Tobirama and Namikaze Minato vanished, and they all converged on this position.
When they saw Madara reappear, everyone's faces tightened.
Still, nobody blamed Tenten. The moment Tobirama and Minato vanished, everyone had felt the shift in the air—now it was obvious the two of them had used their speed to go snatch the gourd.
At least the gourd wasn't in enemy hands, and the enemy hadn't been able to unleash the Edo Tensei army again.
That alone was worth being grateful for.
But no one expected that Madara, the instant he returned, would also release every Edo Tensei sealed inside the Kohaku no Jōhei. Even without tailed beasts inside them, those four Edo Tensei Jinchūriki were still dangerous. And Nagato still had the Rinnegan—right now, he might even be stronger than the original Deva Path. It was hard not to fear that.
The tide really had turned. The enemy had swung the momentum back in a single move.
The next phase was going to be brutal.
Natsuki raised his voice. "Tsunade-sama! The Shodai-sama has been sealed. I'll go all-out against Madara. You coordinate everything else—if you need me, call for me!"
Tsunade nodded once. "Good. Go deal with that demon. The rest is on us!"
She had reason to be confident. The rank-and-file had withdrawn, but they could surge back in at any moment, and the fighters still on the field were anything but ordinary.
Gaara, Sasuke, Fū, Killer B, Naruto—four perfect Jinchūriki.
Tsunade, Ay, Ōnoki, Mei—the Four Kage.
Jiraiya, Neji, Shino, Kakashi, Darui, Chōjūrō, Kurotsuchi, Temari—more heavy hitters.
And the Allied Shinobi Forces still had plenty in reserve: Tenten, Yakumo, Ino–Shika–Chō, Akatsuchi, Samui… they hadn't even entered the fight yet. With that much strength, there was no way they lost.
Madara crossed his arms and looked down on them, his voice carrying effortless authority. "Allied Shinobi Forces… give up. Hand over the tailed beasts and cooperate with the Tsuki no Me Keikaku (Plan of the Eye of the Moon). Then everyone will have a world that belongs to them. I will create a world with only victors, only peace, only love—only perfection. The shinobi world will reach flawless peace. You should support me, your savior. Why resist?"
Hearing that, the allied shinobi exchanged uneasy looks.
Some even showed a hint of longing. Because… maybe a world like that really would be beautiful.
"Madara, the world you're describing is a fantasy. It has no meaning!" Tsunade shouted back. "You think you're a savior, but you're just a fool being used by Black Zetsu! He used you to free his sealed mother. Once the Mugen Tsukuyomi (Infinite Tsukuyomi) activates, his mother will break free, and everyone in the shinobi world becomes her nourishment—everyone turns into Shiro Zetsu (White Zetsu)! That isn't peace—it's bullshit. Wake up already, you idiot!"
In the shadows, Black Zetsu's expression twisted.
He hadn't expected Tsunade to know the plan—worse, she'd yelled it out loud. Now everyone had heard it.
Would Madara start to doubt?
What was he supposed to do now?
But Madara's laughter thundered out instead. "Hahahaha! That same line again. I'm sick of it! When I awakened the Rinnegan before I died, I saw the truth clearly. Do you think I can't tell whether I've been deceived? Trying to shake my resolve with cheap rhetoric—what a joke. I'm done talking. If you're determined to stay blind, then fight. Saa, tatakae da! (Come on—fight!)"
Whoosh—Natsuki struck first, snapping his wrist and sending a storm of Jutsushiki Kunai (Formula Kunai) flying straight toward the Ten-Tails.
Then—flash—he appeared above the Ten-Tails. Sennin Mōdo (Sage Mode) ignited instantly, and in his hand a millstone-sized spiraling sphere of water condensed and dropped like a hammer.
"Senpō: Chō Ōuzuryū Dandanai (Sage Art: Ultra-Giant Vortex Bullet)!"
(End of Chapter)
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