"Obito! Obito, damn it!"
Black Zetsu shot up from underground, throwing his arms around Obito and wailing uncontrollably.
"You can't die!"
"If you die, what am I supposed to do?"
"I can't live without you, Obito!"
Damn it, I don't care if you die, but what about my mom?!
Even though you can't survive after my mother is resurrected, you really can't die now.
Obito's eyes were bloodshot as he glared at Black Zetsu.
Are you trying to choke me to death, bastard?!
If you're done, let me go already!
Let go! You damn mutt!
I can't breathe!
"W-What's going on here?" Kakashi and Guy stood there dumbfounded.
Too bizarre.
So much so that they both forgot they should've capitalized on the opportunity to attack.
"Kakashi, was this your doing?"
"No, how could it be?" Kakashi frowned and muttered, "What's going on? A secret technique? A curse? If it's a technique, I've never heard of one like this."
"Damn it, that hurts like hell!"
A furious roar erupted, followed by a sharp scolding.
"Shut up!"
Two figures stepped into view before Kakashi and the others.
With piercing green eyes, one of them locked eyes with Kakashi and said, "Impressive, Copy Ninja. Your powers of observation live up to the hype. You're right—this is a curse. After this battle, Kakashi, you're welcome to work for me."
These two were striking individuals.
But without a doubt, all eyes would first fall on the one who was still screaming...
Because his chest had been pierced clean through by a pitch-black spear.
A heart shot?
Obito!
Kakashi's expression darkened. No doubt—Obito had been ambushed by that man. And Kakashi recognized the two of them.
"Kakuzu-san—it's really you!"
There was a hint of respect in Kakashi's voice.
Guy's expression shifted too, before he burst into laughter. "So it's Kakuzu-san! Hello, hello!"
They had no choice but to show respect.
This man wasn't just anyone—
He was the Master of Finance!
He managed Uchiha Funan's entire treasury.
At first, he'd only been sent to Sunagakure on a business mission at Funan's request.
But business boomed so much that Funan recalled him and put him in charge of all his financial operations.
Kakuzu brought a tidal wave of wealth into Konoha.
Sure, Kakashi and the others were paid their basic salary by the village…
But—
All bonuses? Came from Kakuzu.
And the guy really knew his stuff.
He never hesitated to issue bonus payments, even expanding the reward system under Funan's orders.
Of course, he also set a ton of thresholds.
For example: finish X number of missions, get Y bonus.
Hit a completion rate of Z%, more rewards.
There were also contribution bonuses, loyalty bonuses, performance bonuses...
A huge laundry list of rewards that both irritated and deeply motivated the ninja.
I mean, who hates money?
Only fools.
Even the Blue Beast and the Copy Ninja had to bow their heads to their bread and butter.
Your patron is basically your parent!
Kakuzu glanced at Obito and said coldly, "It's the final battle. I'm heading to the battlefield myself."
His tone turned menacing and frigid.
"Anyone who stands between me and my money… I'll kill them."
The killing intent rolling off him made Kakashi and Guy's scalps tingle.
This guy had gone full psycho.
All for money!
If Obito and Madara actually pulled off their plan, money?
Forget about it!
Everyone would just be in an eternal sleep.
Under the divine light of glorious, almighty money… Kakuzu had finally lost it.
[Splat!]
Blood gushed.
Hidan yanked the black spear from his chest and scowled. "Kakuzu, that really hurt!"
"Shut up. You're not gonna die anyway."
Kakuzu snapped, then turned his gaze to Obito. "Kakashi, you notice anything off?"
"Yeah."
Kakashi nodded, eyes also fixed on Obito.
There were four people present, but Guy and Hidan? Could be ignored in terms of tactics—treat them as pure muscle.
Although, in terms of combat instinct and experience, those two were monsters.
Black Zetsu was still clinging to Obito, bawling like a baby.
Though the Rinnegan was still in his socket, there weren't many people who could actually use it.
Even Obito was pushing it to the limit right now.
If Obito died, where would Black Zetsu find another suitable user?
Sure, lots of Uchiha could technically do it, and Funan was the clan leader... but Black Zetsu was a little intimidated.
What now? Wait another ten-plus years and raise a kid from scratch again?
"Shut up and get off me!"
Obito couldn't take it anymore and roared, shoving Black Zetsu away.
Thanks to Hashirama's cells in his body, he'd already begun adapting to the gaping hole in his chest.
Long story short—he had insane vitality and had prepared in advance.
Even with no heart, he wasn't going to die.
"Huh?"
Hidan stared at Obito, baffled. "Why aren't you dead? I skewered your heart! Are you immortal too?"
Obito's expression turned frosty. He didn't answer.
Instead, he said, "Looks like I'll have to use my final move."
"Final move?" Kakashi tensed. "Obito, what are you planning?"
He never let his guard down around Obito.
The guy who used to be a total loser now causing this much chaos?
That wasn't just luck.
"Who cares what he's planning?" Kakuzu growled. "Hidan, keep going!"
"Again? But it hurts," Hidan whined, though his eyes gleamed with excitement.
He dipped a foot in his own blood and started drawing that creepy ritual circle again.
His other hand lifted the black spear once more.
Obito's face fell. He barked, "Zetsu! Stop him!"
He wasn't afraid of the hole in his chest.
But—
He wasn't actually immortal.
Hidan was!
If that lunatic stabbed his head, would he still survive?
"Got it!"
Black Zetsu shouted in response.
Suddenly, white Zetsu started popping up from underground one after another, swarming toward Hidan.
"So many of them?"
Everyone's brows furrowed at the sight of the incoming horde.
They'd already killed more than enough White Zetsu to last a lifetime.
Open your eyes—White Zetsu.
Close your eyes—still White Zetsu.
Living in a damn White Zetsu world.
Many of the ninja were feeling quite uncomfortable.
These White Zetsu all looked exactly the same. The more you saw them, the more disturbing it became.
Kakashi, Kakuzu, and the others immediately launched their attack, cutting down the White Zetsu left and right.
But—
There were simply too many of them.
Kill one, and three more charged in.
Take down three, and an entire swarm came rushing in!
Even Kakashi and the others had no choice but to fall back.
Hidan was suddenly tackled and dragged away. He thrashed wildly, stabbing one White Zetsu to death with his spear.
That move seemed to enrage them. One of the White Zetsu pulled out a kunai—and stabbed him with it.
Hidan: "…"
Obito's eyes went wide as he glared furiously at Black Zetsu and White Zetsu.
Kakashi and the others: "…"
"I—I…"
Black Zetsu froze.
He stared at the spot on Obito's body where blood had begun to flow.
This... this had nothing to do with him! He swore on his thousand little lives—it wasn't his idea to have White Zetsu stab Hidan.
Everyone knew what Hidan's ability was. And you stab him of all people? What the hell were you thinking?
Obito growled through clenched teeth, "Whose side are you even on?"
"Y-Yours, of course!" Black Zetsu stammered. "Don't doubt me! My loyalty is absolutely yours!"
Obito glanced down at his still-bleeding abdomen and let out a cold, mirthless laugh.
You've got to be kidding me.
If I believed you, I'd be the dumbest idiot alive.
Then again—
You were created by Uchiha Madara himself. Of course you're on his side.
And this attack? It didn't even aim to kill. Why?
Because Madara didn't want to kill him. His goal wasn't destruction—it was to weaken him.
Obito took a deep breath, then said slowly, "Send him in."
"…Understood."
Black Zetsu didn't say anything else. At this point, no words would help.
All that mattered was the plan proceeding smoothly.
Once Black Zetsu disappeared, Obito turned his gaze to Uchiha Madara.
He was in the middle of a fierce battle with Senju Hashirama.
The colossal wooden golem and the complete Susanoo were tearing the heavens apart with every clash.
"Almost time."
Obito muttered, "You're stronger than Hashirama now… but not by much."
[Whoosh!]
Guy suddenly appeared right in front of Obito.
"Leaf Strong Whirlwind!"
[Buzz!]
Guy's kick sliced clean through Obito's form.
His body began to fade—phasing into intangibility.
"Kakashi, this fight—I'm going to win. I will!"
As his words fell, countless explosive tags flew out from the void, hurtling toward Kakuzu and the others.
"That many?!"
Kakuzu's face twisted in annoyance. "You're just like Uchiha Funan—wasteful as hell!"
He'd complained about Uchiha Funan's obsession with explosive tag tactics more times than he could count.
[BOOOOM!]
The explosion lit up the battlefield, forcing Kakuzu and his group to retreat once more.
"Huff… huff…!"
Elsewhere, Hidan had been fully subdued by a swarm of White Zetsu.
They clamped a hand over his mouth and, with a unified grunt, hoisted him up like a package—ready to haul him off.
"Put him down!"
Kakuzu was furious now.
That idiot may have been a pain, but he'd been his partner for years. Like it or not, there was some attachment.
[Boom!]
Without hesitation, Kakuzu's body exploded outward.
A horde of masked monsters emerged.
"Blast 'em!"
"Boss Kakuzu! Watch it! Don't kill me by accident!"
Hidan, managing to pry one eye open, yelled out desperately.
Kakuzu paused, thought for a second, and muttered, "Oh, right. I nearly forgot—this guy's immortal. So I can attack however I want!"
"He won't die anyway."
"Charge! Don't worry about him—just kill!"
Obito nearly facepalmed.
Sure, he could phase through any direct attack… but what about Hidan's curse technique?
Even if his body turned intangible, it was just shifting from one space to another. In the end, Obito was still Obito.
Once Hidan's curse was triggered, even Obito couldn't guarantee that slipping into another dimension would shield him from its effects.
Immediately, all remaining White Zetsu charged toward Kakuzu.
They were determined to block every attack with their lives—
And under no circumstance would they allow Hidan to step into the ritual circle.
…
[Boom! Boom! Boom!]
The fully manifested Susanoo began marching toward the Wooden Golem.
Each step it took sent tremors through the earth.
Suddenly—
As it neared the wooden giant, Susanoo leapt with explosive force, bringing its blade down in a mighty slash.
[Clang!]
The wooden giant brought both hands together—
Bare-handed Blade Catch!
[Rumble!]
But still—
The ground behind the wooden giant split cleanly in two from the force of the impact.
"We're still too close…" Hashirama glanced toward the nearby ninja who had barely avoided the aftermath, sighing inwardly.
They were simply too powerful.
Even though he had deliberately drawn Uchiha Madara away to another battlefield, the shockwaves from their clash still radiated out far and wide.
If anyone got too close… even an entire village could be wiped out in an instant.
[Whoosh!]
Hashirama immediately dispelled the Wooden Golem Jutsu and dashed toward a more distant area.
…Uchiha Funan, hurry up. I'm not sure how much longer I can hold Madara back.
"Don't even think about running, Hashirama!"
Madara's voice roared from behind as he gave chase.
"Everyone, prepare yourselves!"
Ahead of them, a group of elite shinobi stood ready in silence.
Each one of them was Kage-level from the Allied Shinobi Forces.
Only they stood a chance at injuring Uchiha Madara.
"Itachi, be careful," Minato said, frowning with concern. "You saw how that last attack went…"
"Don't worry, Fourth Hokage!"
Itachi replied with quiet confidence. "This time, we're all aiming in the same direction. There's no way we'll mess up like before."
"You're right."
Minato nodded slightly, some of the tension easing from his heart.
[Thud. Thud.]
Heavy footsteps echoed.
The towering Susanoo—over a hundred meters tall—appeared before their eyes.
"He's here! Everyone, attack!"
A sharp glint flashed in Itachi's eyes.
"Wind Release: Rasenshuriken!"
"Susanoo!"
"Yasaka Magatama!"
"Tailed Beast Bomb!"
"…Hmm?"
The overwhelming surge of chakra immediately drew Madara's attention.
"You all…"
He froze for a moment, stunned by the sheer number of incoming attacks.
"Fire!"
With Itachi's shout, a barrage of devastating techniques rained down on Madara.
[BOOOOOOM!]
A thunderous explosion erupted.
In the blink of an eye, Madara was swallowed in a sea of smoke and flames.
"We got him!"
Itachi shouted in delight. "Shukaku! The rest is up to you!"
"Leave it to me!"
Shukaku roared back, equally thrilled.
He hadn't attacked earlier on purpose—saving his strength for sealing Madara.
At once, his entire body turned to sand and surged toward Madara.
This was Shukaku's most powerful sealing technique!
But just then—
A stray Tailed Beast Bomb suddenly burst through the dusty haze, streaking straight toward Naruto.
Sasuke stood right beside him.
Because the two were close friends—
And because wind fuels fire—
They'd been fighting side by side, their attacks perfectly synchronized.
Which meant, when the counterattack came—
They took the full brunt of it, together.
[BOOOOM!!!]
The devastating blast engulfed Naruto and Sasuke in an instant.
"What the hell just happened?!"
Itachi roared in fury. "Where did that attack come from?!"
"Sigh…"
Minato let out a helpless breath. "Looks like one of the Tailed Beast Bombs circled back midair… and hit them instead."
"…What did you just say?!"
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