Naruto World, Hidden Rain Village
"..."
Obito and Nagato remained silent for a moment. Looking at the information revealed in the video, they didn't know what to say for a while.
"Hmph, ridiculous."
The Six Paths of Pain spoke. Under Nagato's control, they said, "How could I possibly resurrect the people of Konoha?"
Nagato couldn't believe that his future self in the video would actually resurrect the people of Konoha. If there was anyone in this world he hated to the bone, it had to be Konoha.
Because of Konoha Ninja, Nagato had lost both parents as a child and became a lonely orphan.
Although he encountered good Konoha Ninja like Jiraiya during that time, which slightly improved his view of Konoha, the subsequent events were all things he experienced personally.
Konoha Ninja and Ninjas from other Villages acted recklessly in the Hidden Rain Village, while the Akatsuki Organization did their best to stop them, but unfortunately, it had little effect.
Later, it was Danzo's sowing of discord that led to the destruction of the Akatsuki Organization.
It could be said that except for Jiraiya, Nagato had no pity for the Ninjas of those so-called Great Nations; destroying them wouldn't cause him any heartache.
Under such circumstances, Nagato would never use the Outer Path — Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique to resurrect those from Konoha.
"Ridiculous, ridiculous!"
Obito was the same; his body trembled with anger. At this point, how could he possibly turn back? It was absolutely impossible.
Although he said it was impossible, Obito felt his heart wavering deep down.
He felt that it might not be impossible. His teacher's child... Uzumaki Naruto, was really too similar to him.
He had done those things and fallen directly into darkness, believing the world was full of despair.
But after experiencing so much, Naruto still believed the world was full of light and a future.
In the video, the Shinobi Allied Forces also trusted Naruto, setting aside years of hatred and pushing him to the forefront.
Seeing this, Obito's heart felt exceptionally complicated.
However, Obito wasn't surprised by Black Zetsu's move. After all, this guy was Madara's will. Although he usually listened to Obito, once Obito stopped being obedient...
Then the other party would definitely take action, especially since his self in the video wanted to resurrect the people who died in the Shinobi Allied Forces.
That was something Black Zetsu could never tolerate.
Nagato and Obito were silent for a moment. Neither could convince the other, so they planned to watch the video quietly.
Konoha Village.
Kakashi was deeply moved by this scene. Regarding Obito's attempt to sacrifice himself to resurrect everyone, he felt it... this Obito was still the same Obito as before, only led astray by others.
At the thought of this, Kakashi couldn't help but grit his teeth. It was all Uchiha Madara's fault!!! That damn guy, why wasn't he beaten to death by the First Hokage-sama back then?
But soon, Kakashi sighed quietly. In fact, the entire Ninja World thought Uchiha Madara had been killed by Senju Hashirama.
In the battle at the Valley of the End, Senju Hashirama won, and Uchiha Madara lost.
Everyone believed Uchiha Madara was dead at the time. Although Senju Hashirama won, he was also heavily injured and passed away shortly after.
But looking back, Uchiha Madara didn't die; he narrowly survived and obtained part of Senju Hashirama's power.
Finally, he awakened the Rinnegan before his death, and now he had become an invincible existence.
Oh, Naruto and Sasuke could fight him in the future, but that's the future!! Right now, the two of them hadn't grown up yet.
"Nagato, Minato..."
Jiraiya looked at the one-armed Minato and the white-haired Nagato in the background of the video with a complicated gaze.
At this moment, he lamented why his disciples were all so tragic. The only one who seemed to have a good end was Naruto.
The video continued playing.
Uchiha Madara, who was suppressed by Senju Hashirama, revealed a faint smile: "Switching out! Now it's my turn to attack!"
Senju Hashirama, who was also pinned down by black rods and unable to move, looked at Uchiha Madara and shouted: "Stop pushing yourself, the war is already over."
"Whoosh—!!"
At that moment, as an ink-painted eagle streaked across the sky, two figures fell from above.
"Sai!" Naruto said.
"I know."
The one named Sai opened a scroll and formed a hand seal. A black-and-white tiger appeared and charged toward Uchiha Madara.
"Sealing Technique: Crouching Tiger Blast!"
Facing the incoming sealing technique, Uchiha Madara didn't panic at all. He said with a smile, "Naruto, I'm very grateful to you. Thank you for pulling the Tailed Beasts out of Obito's body."
"?!"
Naruto, who had entered Sage Mode, looked very surprised.
Uchiha Madara continued: "I don't have to waste effort weakening him anymore."
On the other side, Black Zetsu had taken control of Obito. He said in a raspy voice: "Sorry, Obito, but this is why I exist."
"Black Zetsu!"
Obito's voice sounded very shaky; most of his body was covered by Black Zetsu.
"Roar—!!"
Elsewhere, the lion bit Uchiha Madara. Sai said seriously, "Good! Just one more step!"
"Clang—!!"
At this final step, Black Zetsu and Uchiha Madara said in unison: "Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique!"
"Sizzle, sizzle—!!!"
White smoke rose from Uchiha Madara's body. He smiled and said, "Finally, I can fight properly."
"Boom—!!"
In the next second, an explosion rang out, and white smoke spread in all directions.
Accompanied by the sound of a heartbeat, Uchiha Madara looked at his hands and said excitedly, "As expected, this body is more like it. The feeling of blood boiling! This is what you call a battle!!!"
"Crack! Crack!"
While Uchiha Madara was excited, his Rinnegan crumbled away like grains of sand. In a short while, his eyes appeared completely hollow.
"Boom—!!"
Black flames enveloped Uchiha Madara.
At this time, although Uchiha Madara no longer had his Rinnegan, he seemed to be able to see his attacker as he looked behind him.
In the sky, Sasuke sat on an ink-painted bird. He looked at Uchiha Madara and said, "Relic of a bygone era, don't come out and make a fool of yourself!"
"Hum—!!!"
Sasuke stared at Uchiha Madara, blood trickling from the corner of his eye as the Amaterasu flames burned Uchiha Madara.
"Mere grains of sand, not even half as good as me." Uchiha Madara closed his eyes. Even as he was being consumed by the black Amaterasu flames, he said fearlessly, "I should be the one saying that."
'Why are his eyes closed?'
Senju Hashirama, pinned to the ground, looked at Uchiha Madara with some confusion.
Meanwhile, Naruto shouted, "Sasuke, simple Ninjutsu won't work on him! He'll absorb it!!"
However, Uchiha Madara did not absorb the Amaterasu. His armor fell to the ground. He looked toward Senju Hashirama and said, "When two opposing forces work together, one can obtain All Creation."
Uchiha Madara said somewhat nostalgically, "Hashirama, do you remember what I told you in front of the Uchiha stone tablet?"
"Did you think the meaning of that sentence on the stone tablet was that two opposing forces collaborating would lead to true happiness?"
"But I also said there's another way to interpret it, didn't I?"
As Uchiha Madara spoke, Naruto and Senju Hashirama were slightly stunned because after Uchiha Madara took off his armor, his upper body was bare.
On Uchiha Madara's chest, a face was imprinted... that face was none other than Senju Hashirama's.
With his eyes closed, Uchiha Madara continued, "Uchiha and Senju—the one who obtains both powers will find true happiness. Can't it be interpreted that way? Hashirama."
"It seems you've planned quite a few things after leaving the Village."
Senju Hashirama thought back to that night.
Uchiha Madara said calmly, "No, it was something a comrade of my subordinate happened to obtain. It seems someone had the same idea as me."
Saying that, Uchiha Madara bit his arm, and blood flowed from the wound.
Uchiha Madara's voice was full of excitement: "But! This rebirth is entirely within my plan!!!"
"Hum—!!"
Uchiha Madara formed a seal. Senju Hashirama tried to stand up, but in his current state, he couldn't get up at all.
"Whoosh—!!"
Uchiha Madara vanished from his spot. He suddenly kicked out. Naruto, who was in Sage Mode, actually couldn't see his movements clearly and was kicked flying.
Even Naruto in Sage Mode was like this. Sai was also kicked aside, landing heavily on the ground not far away.
After the two were kicked away, Senju Hashirama, who was restrained by black rods, was lifted up by Uchiha Madara with one hand.
Chakra surged from Senju Hashirama's body and was absorbed by Uchiha Madara. He said calmly, "Although the order is reversed, it doesn't matter."
On the face of Senju Hashirama on Uchiha Madara's chest, the eye markings of Sage Mode appeared.
At this moment, Senju Hashirama's expression became even weaker, as if he had been sucked dry.
"Is this Senjutsu Chakra?" Uchiha Madara frowned slightly and said with some disdain, "This power is nothing special. It doesn't seem difficult to master."
"Whoosh—!!"
At that moment, Sasuke jumped down. He unsheathed his kusanagi sword and attacked Uchiha Madara. While slashing, he said, "Now that you have a physical body, it's a good opportunity for me. I can kill you once and for all and send you back to that world."
"Die with regret, regret that you shouldn't have given up your Edo Tensei body."
"Slash!"
Uchiha Madara used his right arm to force-block Sasuke's kusanagi sword. At the same time, he said with some interest, "I felt it. Your Mangekyo is... a Choku-tomoe!"
"No wonder your movements are so agile. Before my Rinnegan returns, taking your eyes first might be a good idea."
"But... it would be a pity to kill you and lose these eyes."
At this moment, Uchiha Madara felt a sense of appreciation for talent. He looked at Sasuke and said, "How about this? As fellow survivors of the Uchiha Clan, let's join forces."
"Don't misunderstand," Sasuke flatly refused. "You're already dead."
"Fine." Uchiha Madara said with a smile, "Anyway, you don't have much time left. Fire Release: Ash Pile Cover—!!"
"Boom—!!!"
Scorching flames carrying smoke spread in all directions.
In just an instant, Uchiha Madara vanished from his spot. Naruto and Sasuke couldn't find any trace of him.
Senju Hashirama knelt on the ground, feeling very wary: "Madara has regained his former power. This is bad; his next target is..."
Senju Hashirama looked behind him. As a former comrade and enemy of Uchiha Madara, he knew exactly what his old friend wanted to do.
With a boom, several Chakra-cloaked Ninja collapsed; Uchiha Madara planted a foot on them and drained their Chakra.
The wound Sasuke had just dealt healed in seconds. Madara 'looked' at the Tailed Beasts nearby and said calmly, "All right—next, I'll take you."
"You beasts!"
Standing atop an unnamed corpse, Madara regarded the seven Tailed Beasts ahead.
Outside the video: the One-Punch Man World.
Watching the revived Madara, Genos looked stunned. "He's back just like that?"
"Rinne Rebirth Jutsu," Tornado said, eyes widening. "A technique that brings people back at the cost of a life… that world's pretty impressive."
Returning from death—such power was terrifying.
"But he's lost his Rinnegan and still wants to fight those Tailed Beasts?"
Saitama watched Madara get pummeled. "Doesn't that hurt?"
On-screen, the Tailed Beasts beat Madara black-and-blue; Eight-Tails and Nine-Tails joined in, and all nine Tails together blasted off one of his arms.
"Still, the title's 'The Deepest Hidden Existence.' Madara showed up too early—he can't be the final mastermind."
Genos rubbed his chin. "Could someone else be waiting to clean up?"
"Didn't Light Yagami appear early too?"
Tornado shot back, "It's the process that counts—he's clearly the final boss."
"No, this feels different," Genos said, narrowing his eyes. "Madara keeps mentioning that uchiha stone tablet—something's off."
"Tablet?" Saitama and Tornado echoed.
They'd been too busy watching the fight to notice.
"The Uchiha tablet and the Six Paths Sage," Genos continued. "They pop up constantly. The first Rinnegan user was the Sage, and he left that tablet."
"I think the real mastermind might be the Sage—who still hasn't shown himself."
After two videos, Genos felt smarter and voiced his theory: the deepest hidden one must be the Sage, living only in legend until the finale.
"Oh, that could be," Saitama muttered. "In the last video's No.1 clip, didn't the Sage actually appear?"
"The floating old man?" Tornado remembered: a Rinnegan-wielding elder had briefly shown up.
"Exactly," Genos nodded. "He's the one hiding deepest."
magical girl illya
"R-resurrected?!" Illya gasped at revived Madara and turned to magical ruby. "Can we do that?!"
"Well~" Ruby hesitated. "If the fatal wound's fresh, I can heal it."
"But reviving a monster dead for decades like Madara…" Ruby trailed off, unsure if the result would even count as life.
Such blunt resurrection via Rinnegan jutsu left Ruby amazed.
Miyu fell silent as she watched.
"Something wrong, Miyu?" Illya asked.
"He's getting too much screen time," Miyu murmured. "And that Black Zetsu…"
While impressed by Madara's revival and Edo Tensei-canceled power-up, Miyu felt Black Zetsu had suspiciously large presence—from Madara's will to suddenly possessing Obito.
It was women's intuition.
"Black Zetsu?" Illya tilted her head, clueless.
"Yes. Nothing he says or does is wrong, yet it feels off," Miyu said.
Without proof, like L suspecting Light as Kira, Miyu believed the deepest hidden one wasn't Obito or Madara but likely Black Zetsu; she dismissed the Sage entirely.
The video rolled on.
Without Rinnegan, Madara still used Susanoo to break Shukaku and Gaara's seal, but the combined assault cost him an arm.
Just then a White Zetsu rose from the ground. "Sorry I'm late, Lord Madara."
Naruto, Gaara, and Killer Bee were puzzled—reinforcements that weak?
"You're finally here," Madara said calmly, eyes closed. "Did you bring it?"
"Of course." White Zetsu extended an arm.
Madara severed it and grafted it onto his stump.
White smoke rose; he flexed the new limb and pressed something into his right eye socket—a Rinnegan.
"Now things should get interesting," Madara smiled, then winced as the grafted arm throbbed.
Uchiha Madara watched the blood trickle out, stuck out his tongue, and licked his own blood.
That made quite a few people frown—was this Uchiha Madara some kind of freak? He was actually licking his own blood.
Inwardly, Uchiha Madara exulted: 'The taste of this blood, this pain…'
'This is my body!!!'
At that thought, Uchiha Madara threw his head back and laughed wildly: "Hahahahahaha!!! Hahahahaha!!! Hahahaha!!!"
'At last… I can feel battle for real!!'
After his laughter died, Madara wiped the blood onto his palm, pressed his hand to the ground, and shouted: "Summoning Technique—!!"
"Boom—!!"
At that moment the Gedo Statue appeared behind Uchiha Madara.
"?!"
Seeing this, Naruto and Gaara were stunned.
Uchiha Madara glanced at the Gedo Statue's wound and said calmly: "The right arm's gone? Seems someone over there has decent eyes as well."
"No matter." Madara gazed at the Tailed Beasts in the distance and added flatly: "Now their little house is ready; next I just have to stuff them inside."
Son Goku stared at the Gedo Statue in shock: "An Edo Tensei fake Rinnegan can still summon that thing?"
Fear tinged Son Goku's voice, for the Gedo Statue naturally suppressed them—after all, they had come out of it.
Two-Tails Matatabi spoke with clear dread: "That man is bleeding and injured, so he's no longer an Edo body—those Rinnegan are real."
Seven-Tails Chomei wondered aloud: "How did he come back to life?"
Naruto's eyes narrowed as if something had clicked; images of Nagato and Obito forming hand signs flashed through his mind.
And then Madara's earlier words—'Naruto, I'm truly grateful to you.'
'You pulled the Tailed Beasts out of Obito.'
'So I won't have to waste time weakening him.'
Naruto's pupils quaked. His voice trembled: "Don't tell me… he used Obito to perform the Outer Path — Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique?"
While Naruto thought this, Black Zetsu tried to take the Rinnegan from Obito, but Obito resisted fiercely.
He refused to let Black Zetsu have the eyes and told him: why don't you just leave my body? Let me die, then come and collect them.
But Black Zetsu wasn't that stupid; he lacked the confidence to face Kakashi and Minato Namikaze alone.
Even with only one arm, Konoha's Yellow Flash was still the Yellow Flash, so he had to keep possessing Obito to keep them from acting rashly.
Uchiha Madara seemed to sense a small problem on Black Zetsu's side, yet paid it little heed; he glanced at the Tailed Beasts and said calmly: "The right eye still needs a bit more time."
"Looks that way. We'll have to put in some effort here too." White Zetsu eyed the nine beasts; even Madara would need a moment to capture them all.
Madara gave a faint sneer: "Don't lump me with that brat who took years to collect his pets."
White Zetsu looked at the blood-soaked Madara and muttered: "But you're covered in blood right now."
Madara shrugged it off: "Knowing Hashirama's healing power, I lost a bit of elegance in my fighting style. I'll be more careful once I use the Rinnegan's true power."
"The battle will look far nobler—watch closely; it'll take only seconds."
Since White Zetsu was the only spectator around, Madara had no choice but to let him watch.
The moment the words left his mouth, Madara leapt high and landed atop the Gedo Statue, gazing at the Tailed Beasts with his Rinnegan.
'Limbo: Border Jail!'
"We don't know what jutsu he'll use—stay on guard…"
Matatabi had barely finished when she was struck, her huge frame sent flying.
The attack was invisible; not just Matatabi, every other Tailed Beast was blasted away as well.
As Madara had said, within mere seconds all nine beasts were scattered, and neither the viewers inside the video nor those outside had any idea how it happened.
Naruto World, Hidden Rain Village.
"Is this… the true power of the Rinnegan?"
Nagato frowned as he watched Madara speak of 'Limbo: Border Jail' inside the video, clearly shaken.
In just a few seconds, all nine Tailed Beasts had been brought down?
"No idea," Uchiha Obito replied calmly to Nagato. "But it should be like unlocking the Mangekyo—an ocular jutsu unique to the Rinnegan. Just like Itachi's little brother: after awakening the Rinnegan, he used a space-time Ninjutsu similar to Flying Thunder God."
Ever since the previous video's No.1 appeared, Obito had analyzed Naruto and Sasuke's strength; both were undeniably powerful, as if from another dimension.
Yet their strength still followed rules: Sasuke's Rinnegan granted a space-time Ninjutsu akin to Flying Thunder God.
Naruto's might came from natural energy and the Nine-Tails' enormous Chakra.
Thus Obito deduced that after awakening the Rinnegan, Madara had obtained a comparable unique power.
"Could I master it?"
Nagato asked with interest; he had already grasped the basic abilities of the Rinnegan. If he could add Limbo: Border Jail, he felt confident of starting the Fourth Great Ninja War and taking on the Five Great Nations alone.
"…" Obito remained silent, saying nothing as he kept his eyes on the video.
Because it was impossible; after all, Nagato wasn't the true owner of those eyes. Being able to wield a portion of their power was already impressive—dreaming of fully using the Rinnegan was pure fantasy.
The video continued.
Under Uchiha Madara's overwhelming might, the One-Tail through Nine-Tails were all sealed into the Gedo Statue. The Nine-Tails flung Uzumaki Naruto out at the last moment, sparing his life for now.
But only for the moment; without the Nine-Tails, Naruto's life hung by a thread.
Gaara caught Naruto with his sand and sped away into the distance.
After absorbing all nine beasts, the Gedo Statue opened its nine eyes and gazed ahead.
"With the power I have now, this is about all I can do." Uchiha Madara sounded a little dissatisfied, yet after gathering all nine Tailed Beasts he was almost content.
White Zetsu below grumbled, "It took more than a few seconds—well, still faster than Obito."
"Hmph." Madara scowled. "Why do you talk so much? You White Zetsu are my failed creations—always undermining your master."
White Zetsu kept smiling. "Who told Black Zetsu to be the sharp-tongued one? We White Zetsu are the chatterboxes."
"..."
Madara said nothing. Then, calmly: "The battle over there—no problems?"
"None." White Zetsu grinned. "The one inside is pretty good."
Just as Madara was about to ask more—
Second Hokage Senju Tobirama appeared out of nowhere, Kunai in hand, rushing at Madara.
"Flying Thunder God Slash!"
Madara spun aside, dodging the strike. A black rod sprouted from his palm as he countered.
"Shnk—!!"
The next instant Tobirama vanished, reappearing overhead for another attack. Got him! he thought.
The screen dimmed; Tobirama was pinned to the ground by black rods, unable to move.
With casual ease Madara snapped the rods, then hurled the broken pieces at Tobirama's head, voice laced with satisfaction: "Honestly, I've wanted to do that since forever."
"You're the one who killed Izuna. Taking it out on a walking corpse won't change anything, though."
"..." Tobirama looked up. "Madara, what do you hope to accomplish by coming back? Our era ended long ago."
Madara gazed down at him. "I simply want to finish what Hashirama couldn't: build the nation he envisioned. But this world belongs to Hashirama, who failed at the last step. A dying patient needs harsh medicine."
"The Infinite Tsukuyomi—that was your idea?" Tobirama probed. "You call that a cure?"
"Exactly." Madara, willing to share his achievement, spoke calmly. "Hashirama's nation still held contradictions. People long for peace, yet hunger for war."
"Humans are born with both instincts. Remove the battlefield and keep only the desire for peace, and you no longer have humanity; the two coexist."
The scene grayed, shifting to another battlefield.
Senju Hashirama's longsword pierced Madara's body. Madara's pupils shook—he hadn't expected Hashirama to strike.
Hashirama's voice was ice: "Even if it's my best friend, my brother, my child—if they threaten the Village, I will not hesitate."
Back in the present, Madara sighed. "To protect something, something else must be sacrificed. Only a true dream-world escapes that rule."
Viewers outside the screen were stunned.
Madara now spoke as though he were a creator-god, planning a world without war or Pain.
For that ideal he had challenged the entire world, hiding in darkness for years.
At first everyone had thought him a warmonger who cared only for battle.
Yet it turned out he too sought peace? Was this some kind of joke?
"What you say… makes some sense," Tobirama admitted, smiling inwardly: But that dream isn't yours to decide!
He spat a flurry of water needles at Madara.
Madara brushed them aside.
Now! Sasuke, high above, dove down, kusanagi sword ready.
He still carried "that technique" Hashirama had given him—if the opening came, he might actually kill Madara.
Clang—!!
The Kusanagi rang as it struck an invisible wall and clattered to the ground.
Sasuke slammed into the barrier, shock on his face, completely immobilized.
Madara glanced back. "This world is precisely Hashirama's contradictory world."
What is this jutsu?! Sasuke raged inwardly.
Madara picked up the Kusanagi and walked toward him. "To protect something, something else must be sacrificed."
"Stop, Madara!" Even Tobirama, ever wary of the Uchiha, shouted. "Don't—"
Madara cut him off, leveling the sword at Sasuke. "Even if it's a friend, a brother, or one's own child."
Shnk!
Steel slid through flesh; Sasuke's face contorted in Pain.
"I gave you plenty of time," Madara said quietly. "I warned you your time was running out. Regrettable."
The camera pulled back: Sasuke, run through the heart by the Kusanagi, had moments left to live.
Elsewhere, Naruto's heartbeat slowed. The two White Zetsu explained:
He still lived thanks to his Uzumaki blood, but it was only temporary—without his Tailed Beast, death was certain.
That was the rule: a Jinchuriki who lost the Tailed Beast died.
Having stabbed Sasuke, Madara didn't bother to finish him.
Even with Sasuke's Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, Madara had more important matters.
Boom!
He formed a seal; vast white smoke erupted. When it cleared, the Ten-Tails loomed behind him.
Madara kept walking; the colossal beast flowed into his body.
His once-black hair turned snow-white, and a robe marked with nine magatama appeared.
Nine Truth-Seeking Orbs floated behind him. Six Paths Madara, black staff in hand, murmured, "So this is Six Paths power. Only the left eye remains."
Shnk—!!
With those words he shot skyward, destination unknown.