"Cough, cough, cough..."
Inside Kamui's dimension, Nagato was coughing incessantly as Black Zetsu examined him.
Meanwhile, Obito Uchiha stood silently to the side. Nagato's current state was nothing short of miserable.
His body was covered in blood, and his once-restored health had completely deteriorated, returning him to his emaciated, skeletal form.
"To think he lost so badly?"
Obito muttered under his breath, though even he found it hard to say aloud.
He glanced around at the chaos surrounding them—battle scars were everywhere, with pools of blood staining the ground.
Clearly, the fight here had been intense as well.
"Damn Kakashi, how did he master that eye so well..."
Recalling his battle with Kakashi, Obito clenched his fists tightly.
The way Kakashi wielded his Sharingan had far exceeded Obito's expectations, and the most frustrating part was the absurd amount of ocular power Kakashi seemed to possess!
"What's going on with him?"
Obito couldn't wrap his head around it. He seriously suspected Kakashi had somehow used Hashirama Senju's cells.
Or perhaps...
"Back then, when he severed my arm?"
Unconsciously glancing at his right arm, Obito recalled how Kakashi had deliberately targeted it during their fight.
And with the violent explosion that followed, Obito knew he had to escape from Kakashi.
But now, he had no effective way to deal with him, so he could only create an opening to retreat.
As for his right arm...
"Could it really be because of that?"
Obito dared not voice his thoughts, knowing it would be akin to aiding the enemy.
Fortunately, Black Zetsu stood up at that moment, prompting Obito to push aside his doubts and ask directly.
"How is he?"
"Not in great condition."
Black Zetsu's expression was grim as he pondered for a moment before responding.
"Kitagawa Minamoto injected some kind of unique power into his body, and that power is still attacking Nagato."
"Still attacking?"
Obito's face darkened upon hearing this.
"How long will this last? Surely it won't—"
"Relax, it won't."
Black Zetsu replied cryptically, though he himself found it remarkable that Nagato was still alive.
The power was incredibly peculiar, and Black Zetsu had no idea how Kitagawa Minamoto had managed to achieve it.
Even he had no means to counter it.
"However..."
"Kitagawa Minamoto seems to lack proficiency. After Nagato entered Kamui's dimension, the power weakened."
"Kamui's dimension weakened that power?"
Obito was baffled, unable to comprehend what was happening.
"Indeed... weakened..."
At that moment, Nagato, who had been lying weakly, spoke up.
His face was filled with pain, though the physical agony paled in comparison to the torment caused by Kitagawa Minamoto's words.
"I see no difference between you and the past..."
Three or four years had passed, and Nagato had believed he could walk the path of the Sage of Six Paths once more.
He had thought Ōtsutsuki Minamoto-shiki was the only true enemy before him.
But in the end, he hadn't even encountered Ōtsutsuki Minamoto-shiki—he had been effortlessly defeated by Kitagawa Minamoto yet again.
If he had lost to Ōtsutsuki Minamoto-shiki, he might have understood, but losing to Kitagawa Minamoto...
It was truly incomprehensible and utterly unacceptable!
Nagato, the inheritor of the Sage of Six Paths, the wielder of the Rinnegan—why was this the outcome?
He raised his head and stared at Black Zetsu with bloodshot eyes, his voice hoarse as he asked,
"Why... why did I lose to Kitagawa Minamoto? Why has it come to this?!"
Nagato's questions rendered Obito silent. He understood the pain of repeated failure and couldn't help but glance at Black Zetsu.
Black Zetsu's expression was equally conflicted. He hadn't expected Nagato, who had remained resolute even after being thrashed by Ōtsutsuki Minamoto-shiki, to break down like this.
Still, he could understand. And for him, this was an opportunity.
"Obito, do you remember the information on the Uchiha Stone Tablet?"
"Of course I do."
Obito nodded. Although his eyes were merely Mangekyō Sharingan, limiting what he could see,
He had at least seen the Sage of Six Paths' concerns about the world and the alternate solution he had proposed.
It was this knowledge that had driven Obito's efforts.
But bringing it up now—could it mean...
"You mean..."
Suddenly, Obito thought of something.
"The passage about defeating the Rabbit Goddess?"
"Exactly. Though the passage is brief, it does mention someone."
Black Zetsu nodded, prompting Obito to stroke his chin thoughtfully, while Nagato's face was a mix of pain and confusion.
"Mentioned someone? What are you talking about?"
"It's an Uchiha secret. That person was the Sage of Six Paths' younger brother."
Obito explained impatiently.
Though the Stone Tablet mentioned the battle against the Rabbit Goddess, it provided only a few sentences.
And the part about the Sage's younger brother was even more sparse.
Because the story of defeating the Rabbit Goddess was barely elaborated, it was easy to dismiss it as a mere legend.
"Are you saying the Sage of Six Paths wasn't alone in that battle, but fought alongside his brother? But the passage is so brief—there's hardly any information. Could it really be..."
"A myth?"
Black Zetsu glanced at Obito and shook his head before speaking.
"Can you still treat it as a myth now? And doesn't Kitagawa Minamoto's potential and strength explain everything?"
Black Zetsu's words left Obito silent.
Indeed, with the emergence of the absurdly powerful Ōtsutsuki Minamoto-shiki,
And with Black Zetsu claiming the Rabbit Goddess bore the surname Ōtsutsuki,
Many things could no longer be dismissed as mere legends.
"Kitagawa Minamoto inherited the power of the Sage of Six Paths' younger brother?"
Nagato was the most agitated of all, grasping at this explanation like a drowning man clutching a lifeline.
Ōtsutsuki Minamoto-shiki was a god—losing to him wasn't shameful.
But repeatedly losing to Kitagawa Minamoto had shaken Nagato's very beliefs. The frustration was indescribable!
However, if Kitagawa Minamoto was truly extraordinary, then...
"Most likely."
Black Zetsu nodded seriously, his tone resolute.
"Otherwise, there's no way to explain why he's so strong. For ordinary people, mastering even one Kekkei Genkai is difficult. But him?"
"Based on what we know, he has Ice Release, Kekkei Tōta like Dust Release, and even Wood Release..."
Obito seemed to realize the gravity of the situation as he spoke gravely.
"Not only that, he mastered Flying Thunder God in an incredibly short time, and created Purple Lightning right after graduating. His talent is practically limitless."
"So... he might really be—no, he must be—"
Nagato murmured, and though there was no definitive proof, he seemed convinced of the answer.
Only this explanation could bring him peace and restore his resolve.
"Rest for now. We'll uncover the truth soon."
Black Zetsu glanced at Nagato, finally breathing a sigh of relief.
But he noticed Obito signaling to him, so he reassured Nagato before following Obito to the side.
"Do you really believe it? That Kitagawa Minamoto is..."
Once they were out of earshot, Obito spoke incredulously, while Black Zetsu shook his head.
"Not certain, but highly likely. Since the Uchiha Stone Tablet mentioned it, perhaps the Senju relics contain related information too."
"Senju relics..."
Obito sighed.
"How's your search going?"
"Almost pinpointed, but Konohagakure has been keeping a close watch lately—I need to be cautious."
"Speed it up. By the way, Itachi Uchiha is dead."
"Hmm?"
Black Zetsu was momentarily stunned.
"He wasn't a match for Sasuke Uchiha? And what about the Seven-Tails?"
"We didn't capture the Seven-Tails, but we collected its chakra. As for Itachi Uchiha..."
Mentioning Itachi, Obito's expression turned grim.
"Who knows, maybe he wanted to die. But it's better this way—Orochimaru can use Impure World Reincarnation to summon him later, making things more convenient."
Obito was well aware of Itachi's ulterior motives.
In the past, he might have regretted losing a capable subordinate.
But now, Itachi's death was more advantageous than troublesome.
"Also, investigate the matter of the Sage of Six Paths' younger brother."
Adjusting his mood, Obito continued.
"I'll go retrieve the others. Thanks for your efforts."
"Understood."
Black Zetsu nodded reluctantly, watching Obito disappear.
He glanced at Nagato, who seemed to have regained some confidence, and sighed.
"Looks like I'll need to prepare the Hyūga relics as well..."
Black Zetsu muttered to himself, while elsewhere, Kitagawa Minamoto's expression grew peculiar.
"You really killed him?"
"Mission accomplished, senior."
Sasuke was visibly excited, though his enthusiasm was tinged with melancholy.
"I killed him, but it's a pity..."
"Don't worry. Your family would be proud of you if they knew."
Kakashi patted Sasuke's shoulder reassuringly, while Naruto gave him a thumbs-up.
Naruto now understood the pain Sasuke had endured—having everything, only to lose it all.
If the chakra of his own parents disappeared, could he remain calm?
Although he felt sibling rivalry was unfortunate, he still wished Sasuke well, especially since his target had been a traitor and villain.
"Well done, kid. You've grown up."
Jiraiya smiled as he patted Sasuke's shoulder, though he quickly sighed.
"Too bad Orochimaru escaped. While the Seven-Tails is safe, they did manage to collect its chakra. And this place..."
Looking back at the nearly destroyed Takigakure, Jiraiya rubbed his temples in frustration.
Tobirama Senju's foresight had indeed been prophetic.
Even if this wasn't their intention, the reality had unfolded as predicted.
"Minamoto, you don't look too pleased. What's wrong?"
Jiraiya didn't want to dwell on these issues.
Sweeping his gaze across the group, he noticed Kitagawa Minamoto seemed distracted and asked curiously.
His question drew the attention of the Konohagakure shinobi, who all looked at Minamoto with curiosity.
"Sigh, it's a pity he died."
Kitagawa Minamoto sighed softly, prompting Sasuke to frown.
"Senior, what do you mean..."
"You're too impulsive. While his death is deserved, you forgot about Impure World Reincarnation."
"Uh..."
"When he was alive, he was frail and on the verge of collapse. His death only completes him—it's truly a pity."
"..."
"If I were you, I'd have severed his limbs, gouged out his eyes, sealed his chakra, and brought him back to Konohagakure. To prevent suicide, I'd remove his tongue. That way, he'd suffer while alive, and we wouldn't have to worry about Impure World Reincarnation."
"Hiss—"
"It's also a form of atonement. Sasuke, you're too young."
"..."
Kitagawa Minamoto's words left everyone speechless,
And even Naruto and Sasuke shuddered involuntarily.
At that moment, they seemed to understand why Tobirama Senju had once said—
"This kid is even more ruthless than I am!"
(End of Chapter)
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