Naruto World, Akatsuki Organization
"Is... is this your ancestor?"
Seeing this scene, Deidara gasped, looking exceptionally shocked.
The reason was simple: though the duel between Naruto and Sasuke was indeed powerful, they hadn't grown up yet and there was no frame of reference; it just felt powerful, but nothing more.
But Uchiha Madara was different; the moment he appeared, he embodied one word.
That is Haki!
"Haki leaking out." Sasori was also quite shocked, his voice heavy as he said, "As expected of Uchiha Madara. In this world, only Senju Hashirama could suppress him. If he's this terrifying, one can only imagine how terrifying Senju Hashirama must be."
Whenever Uchiha Madara was mentioned, everyone couldn't help but think of the God of Shinobi—Senju Hashirama.
Just how powerful was he to be able to suppress such a terrifying Ninja?
"So... so strong." Even Konan was shocked at this point; Uchiha Madara's fighting style possessed an exceptional aesthetic.
Just like he asked: would you like to dance?
On the battlefield, Uchiha Madara was like a dancer; no one could keep up with his steps.
Ahem, it might sound a bit strange, but in Konan's view, Uchiha Madara had already reached the limit of what a Ninja could be.
Even if Pain went up, he probably wouldn't fare well, not to mention the other has the Rinnegan... but fortunately, the opponent is already dead.
"Are you sure you actually fought Senju Hashirama?"
Hidan looked at Kakuzu, sounding somewhat speechless, "Uchiha Madara is already this terrifying, so Senju Hashirama must be even stronger. To be honest, I'm starting to think you just threw a shuriken and ran away."
"Idiot." Kakuzu looked at Hidan, his voice cold as he said, "Senju Hashirama is different from Uchiha Madara. Uchiha Madara will kill anyone who offends him, but Senju Hashirama was known as the reincarnation of the Six Paths Sage. He ended the chaotic era and created the hidden villages; he possessed a heart of benevolence."
Whether it was throwing a shuriken from eight hundred miles away and running, or a battle of wits and courage against a Wood Clone, Kakuzu couldn't be bothered to explain those things anymore.
Now he was laying his cards on the table: the reason he survived was entirely because of Senju Hashirama's mercy.
"Indeed."
Since his identity as a mole was exposed, Itachi had become more talkative. He looked at Kakuzu and said very calmly, "You are a Ninja from Takigakure; it's truly not easy to possess such power."
"The First Hokage perhaps saw that it wasn't easy for such a small hidden village to produce a Ninja like you, so he let you go."
"After all, the First Hokage was the one who captured the Tailed Beasts and handed them over to the other hidden villages."
Speaking of this, Itachi's voice sounded a bit subtle; in fact, even he felt it was somewhat strange.
Back then, Senju Hashirama's strength was indeed immense, as can be seen from various historical descriptions. While he was alive, no wars occurred.
But as soon as he died, the First Shinobi World War broke out, which was quite a helpless situation.
"The God of Shinobi, huh? I'd really like to see what kind of existence he was."
Kisame also sighed with some emotion; for such an existence, he really wanted to see him with his own eyes.
...
Facing the group's discussion about Senju Hashirama, Pain didn't speak. Instead, he stared at the meteorite in the video. Could he achieve that level as well?
The answer was yes; possessing the Rinnegan, he was capable of using that power.
However, the price would be very unpleasant; after all, these were not his own eyes.
At the thought of this, Nagato's expression became quite ugly; he had actually been used as a pawn.
But fortunately, Uchiha Madara is dead now, and Uchiha Obito has confessed to him that he will absolutely not resurrect Madara.
Because they could complete the plan with or without him; using the power of the Rinnegan, they were enough to sweep away all existence.
Inside Konoha Village, after seeing this scene, Ōnoki couldn't help but frown. Originally, he had only come here intending to put some pressure on that fellow Hiruzen Sarutobi.
But now, seeing his future Shinobi Allied Forces and the Uchiha Madara brought back by Edo Tensei, Ōnoki abandoned that idea.
Instead, he prepared to start training Naruto and Sasuke with all his might, because from the later situation, these two were definitely the main force against Madara; they had to be trained as quickly as possible.
As a 'brat' who had once experienced combat against Uchiha Madara, Ōnoki was quite aware of the other's terror.
Furthermore, the opponent seemed even stronger than when he was alive, looking at that meteorite in the video and 'his own' performance.
Ōnoki gritted his teeth slightly. Originally, they had planned to hold a meeting to crusade against the Akatsuki Organization, but now it seemed they couldn't do that.
Instead, they had to stall for as much time as possible to let Naruto and Sasuke develop.
After all, looking at the Akatsuki Organization, they had the power to 'temporarily resurrect' Madara.
With this move alone, they were enough to make the Five Great Nations hesitate to act, unless... someone on their side brought Senju Hashirama back through Edo Tensei.
"What a headache." Ōnoki looked toward the Hokage Office; he felt that this idea of his would definitely not be accepted.
As for why, Ōnoki knew in his heart, but he would still mention it, because there was simply no other way.
This gap in strength was truly despair-inducing.
Looking at that meteorite in the video, Ōnoki felt that his proposal might be agreed upon by the Kage of other hidden villages.
The problem was Hiruzen Sarutobi—what would this Third Hokage think?
The video continued to play.
The meteorite was slowly falling, and the Ninjas below felt a unique terror. Looking at the giant rock above their heads, they couldn't even take a step to run.
Because they knew they simply couldn't dodge such an attack.
"A meteorite, how could..."
"Is this a Ninjutsu?"
"There's no way to escape."
The atmosphere of fear spread. This scene made most Ninjas unable to even think of resisting; they were in despair.
You call this a Ninjutsu? No! This has completely exceeded the scope of Ninjutsu.
"It's not over yet! Stop talking so gloomily!"
Sensing the despairing atmosphere around him, Ōnoki stared at the sky. Although he was also very nervous, he shouted loudly, "Are you planning to just throw your lives away for nothing? Think of a way to make whatever effort you can!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Ōnoki flew toward the sky.
"Lord Tsuchikage!!"
A Ninja from Iwagakure looked at Ōnoki flying toward the meteorite, appearing extremely worried.
"Everyone! Run as far as you can!!!" Gaara also waved his hand, telling everyone to hurry and escape.
This single sentence made countless Ninjas' legs move, including Naruto's.
Looking at this shocking scene, Kabuto said with some surprise, "Killing even us?"
"Of course." Uchiha Madara appeared exceptionally calm as he said indifferently, "Edo Tensei was originally intended to be used for mutual destruction with the enemy."
"It won't take long for us to regenerate."
Just as Uchiha Madara finished speaking, he noticed a Ninja flying into the sky not far away. He said with some surprise, "A Ninja who can fly?"
In the Ninja World, Ninjas who can fly freely are truly rare.
However, Uchiha Madara had a good memory. He looked at the Ninja flying into the sky with a smile and said, "Then he must be that Ryōtenbin brat from Iwagakure."
Below, Naruto—who was running with the others—looked puzzled. "What's Grandpa Tsuchikage up to?"
A nearby Iwagakure Ninja seemed to realize what was happening. "He's reducing the meteor's weight to stop it from falling."
In the next instant, Ōnoki flew beneath the meteor, pressed his palms against it, and braced his head against its surface. "Earth Release: Super Light-Weight Rock Technique!"
"Bzzzz—!!!"
In that moment the plummeting meteor slowed.
Below, Gaara raised his hands; sand rose like colossal arms, ready to catch the falling rock.
'Just a bit more… just a bit… and we'll make it!'
Ōnoki knew the meteor must not land; if it did, the devastation would be unimaginable and countless Ninja would die. He and the Kazekage had to stop it.
"Raaaahhhhh—!!!"
Blood dripped from Ōnoki's fingertips as he roared.
At last… the screen dimmed slightly.
Rubble showered onto the sand. Uchiha Madara glanced upward, approval in his voice: "So the brat from the Two Scales has grown capable."
It was the tone of an elder praising a junior.
Meanwhile, the camera pulled back.
On the desert, a titanic meteor hovered, held aloft by sand—the joint feat of two Kage.
The sight was breathtaking; everyone had thought the rock would crash and wreak havoc, yet it had been stopped.
On the ground, countless Ninja rejoiced—they had survived.
Gaara had told them to flee, but where could they run in so short a time?
Not everyone was Senju Tobirama or Namikaze Minato, able to teleport with Flying Thunder God.
"Yes!"
"It's stopped!!!"
Cheers erupted; smiles broke across every face.
Outside the video: the Akatsuki Organization.
"The old man's still going strong."
Watching Ōnoki's feat, Deidara—once the Tsuchikage's pupil—was trash-talking his teacher in the comments, calling him an art-blind geezer stuck on 'the will of stone.' Yet inside, he respected his master.
Still, he preferred the Akatsuki vibe—every member a virtuoso artist.
Earlier the old man had used the multiverse projection to DM him: come back to Iwagakure and stop fooling around.
Deidara refused. Retirement was on the old man's mind; he wanted to drag Deidara home to inherit the title.
No way. Once he became Tsuchikage, every Village hassle would land on his head.
An artist like Deidara wanted none of that.
"As expected of Ōnoki of the Two Scales."
Pain offered rare praise. Among the Five Kage, Ōnoki and Sarutobi Hiruzen were the thorniest—ancient veterans of three Ninja World wars.
The Raikage, Mizukage and Kazekage could be ignored; strong, but only just.
"Still, the sand-user… the Ichibi Jinchuriki?"
Sasori narrowed his eyes at Gaara. Though a Sunagakure rogue, he knew the Village—and its Jinchuriki—well.
The boy had been tragic, yet the Akatsuki had captured every Tailed Beast except the Eight- and Nine-Tails.
Removing a Tailed Beast kills the host; how had Gaara survived?
'Could it be…?'
An image of his grandmother flashed through Sasori's mind; his expression soured.
Only she in the Village could revive a dead Jinchuriki.
"It's not over," White Zetsu said, identity now public. "Madara's jutsu won't be stopped so easily."
Black Zetsu rasped, "After all, aside from Senju Hashirama, no one can stand against Madara."
With the act in full swing and Nagato unfazed, Black Zetsu naturally sang Madara's praises.
As a fragment of Madara's will, hyping him up was only natural.
"He is Uchiha Madara," Kisame nodded, expecting the provoked legend to unleash even bigger techniques.
"Wait…"
Uchiha Itachi noticed something; his Three-Tomoe Sharingan slowly spun. "Something's off."
"Hm?"
The others stared, unsure what he meant—until they saw.
The footage rolled on.
While everyone celebrated, new images appeared: something else was about to drop.
"Well then," Madara smiled, "what will you do about the second one, Ōnoki?"
"!!!!!!"
A second meteor punched through the clouds, slammed into the first, and drove it downward.
Ōnoki realized too late; his eyes rolled back in agony.
"Boom—!!!!!!"
Under the doubled force the original meteor shattered, crushed the sand arms, and both rocks crashed to earth.
Terror rippled outward.
Viewers gasped—two for the price of one?!
The screen faded to black, then fast-forwarded.
The Five Kage appeared, facing the Edo Tensei Madara.
Uzumaki Naruto and Killer Bee took on Uchiha Obito.
On both battlefields the Five Kage were no match for Madara; only with Might Guy and Kakashi's help did Naruto and Killer Bee manage to shatter Obito's mask and expose his true identity.
Yet the fight was far from over—Uchiha Madara and Obito fought side by side, and perhaps sensing the mounting threat, Obito used fragments of the Eight- and Nine-Tails' Chakra to forcibly summon the Ten-Tails, which he and Madara then seized control of.
The Shinobi Allied Forces arrived soon after, unleashing a combined barrage of Ninjutsu, but their efforts barely scratched the beast.
The Ten-Tails' power made heaven and earth tremble; no Ninja could withstand its attacks.
Just as it prepared to wipe out the alliance with a Tailed Beast Ball, the four previous Hokage of Konoha appeared on the battlefield in Edo Tensei bodies.
Their overwhelming strength and techniques momentarily pinned the Ten-Tails down, showing everyone how formidable a Konoha Hokage could be.
No one was more thrilled than Uchiha Madara himself.
The instant Senju Hashirama appeared, Madara ignored both the Ten-Tails and Obito, rushed straight at Hashirama, and shouted, "I've been waiting for you, Hashirama!"
The God of Shinobi replied that he would deal with Madara later—right now he had to handle the Ten-Tails—leaving Madara visibly disappointed, his face falling in frustration.
Elsewhere, Uchiha Obito clashed with Kakashi.
Kakashi drove a Chakra blade through Obito's heart; Obito used Kamui to escape, collapsed onto the Ten-Tails, and formed a hand seal.
Everyone assumed it would be the Outer Path — Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique, but to their shock it was the jutsu to become the Ten-Tails' Jinchuriki.
Obito became the new Ten-Tails Jinchuriki, the new Six Paths Sage, wielding fantastical power.
Hashirama openly stated that Obito was now stronger than he had been in life.
To forestall any further complications, Obito summoned the Divine Tree and tried to launch the Eye of the Moon Plan ahead of schedule.
Yet he failed, defeated by Naruto and the united Shinobi Allied Forces.
All the captured Tailed Beasts were freed once more.
At the same time, the Edo Tensei Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama fought to a mutual standstill, both temporarily restrained.
It seemed the Akatsuki Organization's scheme had collapsed: Obito was swayed by Naruto's words, and Madara was momentarily subdued by Hashirama.
Inside, Obito regretted everything he had done.
Kakashi, his best friend, prepared to deliver the fatal blow, but the Edo Tensei Fourth Hokage stopped him.
Minato had assumed that, like any normal Jinchuriki, Obito would die once the Ten-Tails was extracted.
However, Kurama inside Minato explained that a Ten-Tails Jinchuriki does not perish when the beast is removed; at worst he would suffer a death-like weakness and need months to recover.
Facing an Obito whose life was no longer in danger, Kakashi felt torn; unable to sort out his feelings, he chose to step away for a while.
Finally Obito moved, forming a hand seal with trembling hands.
Minato and Kakashi turned in surprise.
"What are you doing?" Minato asked, puzzled that Obito would force a seal in such a deathly-weakened state.
"In the past, the man I tried to use betrayed me with this very move," Obito said slowly.
Behind him appeared the white-haired figure of Nagato.
Minato didn't understand, but Kakashi's eyes widened. "You don't mean—"
"I never thought I'd do the same thing," Obito said with bitter irony. "Outer Path — Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique!"
Kakashi's voice shook. "If you use that, you'll—"
A vision flashed: the King of Hell disgorging countless green lights that had once revived Kakashi himself.
He knew exactly what fate had befallen Pain—Nagato—after that technique was used.
Thanks to it, no one in the Village had died during Pain's invasion; only the buildings were destroyed, and the sole casualty was Nagato.
Minato realized inwardly that the jutsu demanded the user's life.
Weakly, Obito continued, "Now I understand why Nagato turned against me. Linked wills can become true strength.
Nagato and Naruto were both Jiraiya's students… in the end, I lost to Jiraiya."
Behind him appeared Nagato and Naruto with Jiraiya at the center.
Turning to Minato, Obito whispered, "Sensei, he was your teacher, and I was your student.
I gave up on becoming Hokage and severed those connected wills."
He looked toward Kakashi. "In the next world, I'll have no face to show Rin."
"Do you really have to do this?" Kakashi pleaded, voice trembling. "You can atone while you live!"
"No," Obito murmured. "Not for sins this heavy."
As he prepared to activate the Samsara of Heavenly Life and revive those who had died, a black hand burst from the ground and seized him.
"!!!!!!!!!"
The situation reversed instantly; Minato Namikaze and Kakashi didn't have time to react to what was happening.
Black Zetsu emerged from the ground, his voice raspy: "This time, I'll help too."
The will of Uchiha Madara had appeared once again!
At that moment, the scene shifted slightly. The suppressed Uchiha Madara seemed to sense something, revealing a very 'kind' smile as he said, "Switching out!"
"Now it's my turn to attack!"
.....
Read more chapters at Patreon.com/Brainiacc