Hearing those words, Yahiko and Konan made up their minds and launched an attack on Byakuya.
However, they were no match for him. In just over ten seconds, the two of them were pinned to the ground by wooden spikes and completely lost the ability to fight.
Yahiko didn't need much explanation since, among the core members of Akatsuki, his talent was the weakest. Over the years, he had been bogged down with political duties, leaving him no time to train. His strength had remained at the level of a regular jōnin, and even being considered an elite jōnin was a stretch.
Konan had Kage-level strength, but her Paper Release was ineffective against Byakuya. The special explosive tags, coated with water-repellent paint, could still be ignited with Fire Release. Byakuya seized the opportunity and defeated her without difficulty.
Casting a cold glance at the fallen Yahiko and Konan, Byakuya turned and walked toward the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
Obito looked at Yahiko and Konan in the distance, then at Byakuya. He said, "Byakuya, I didn't expect you to actually strike them down. Was it really worth it, to gain the power to intimidate the ninja world?"
Byakuya glanced at Obito and replied indifferently, "And what about you? You threw away everything just to carry out the Eye of the Moon Plan. Are you really any better than me?"
Obito fell silent. Madara Uchiha, on the other hand, looked at Byakuya with an approving gaze. He could understand Byakuya's mindset, after all, he had experienced the pain of being misunderstood and betrayed by a close friend.
On the Allied Shinobi Forces' side, after the successive defeats of the Five Kage and the top figures from Amegakure, morale had hit rock bottom. Many wanted to rush forward, but the few still thinking clearly held them back. If even the Kage had fallen, rushing in would just mean throwing their lives away for nothing.
Seeing that the Allied shinobi were too afraid to move, Byakuya's lips curved into a smile. He turned to Madara and the masked man and said, "The Allied Shinobi Forces have lost the will to fight. When do we begin the revival of the Ten Tails?"
Though Byakuya and Nagato had already sealed away all nine tailed beasts, they didn't know how to actually revive the Ten Tails. That knowledge lay with Madara and Obito.
Madara replied unhurriedly, "The technique to revive the Ten Tails is extremely powerful. I only need to say a few words, and you'll know what to do. But first, we need to remove the Rinnegan from Nagato."
Byakuya frowned and said, "Nagato can't perform the technique? I don't think there's any need to remove his Rinnegan. He's the only one in the ninja world who can withstand the chakra drain."
Madara looked at him and said, "Sure, you can have Nagato perform the revival. But the Ten Tails is immensely powerful. If he escapes your control, the consequences will be disastrous. None of us combined could stand against the Rinnegan and the Ten Tails."
Byakuya was silent for a moment, then said, "Fine. You can remove the Rinnegan, but the one who receives it must be me. First, tell me the technique to revive the Ten Tails. I will be the one to control it."
Hearing this, both Madara and Obito narrowed their eyes and fell into thought.
For them, the Allied Shinobi Forces were never the real threat. Whether it was ambushing the jinchūriki or attacking the villages directly, they could always collect the tailed beasts.
The real challenge came after collecting all nine tailed beasts: how to divide up the power of the Ten Tails.
Byakuya aimed to gain the Ten Tails' power. Madara and Obito wanted to launch the Infinite Tsukuyomi. Their goals were fundamentally opposed and irreconcilable.
When they still had the Allied Shinobi Forces as a common enemy, they could set aside their differences. But now, they had started to see each other as enemies. They simply hadn't acted yet because they were waiting for the right moment to strike cleanly and decisively.
Soon, the tension between Byakuya and Madara caught the attention of the Allied shinobi.
As they tended to the wounded, they also kept a close watch on the situation above the Demonic Statue. When they noticed the strange atmosphere, they began whispering among themselves.
"Look! Byakuya and Madara seem to be having a falling-out."
"So what if they are? They know we can't fight back, so they're turning on each other. Once one wins, they'll come for us next."
"Should we take this chance while they're distracted and ambush them?"
"Forget it. Lady Tsunade and the others haven't woken up yet. Let's wait until they do. We don't even have the qualifications to participate in this war anymore."
That last whisper resonated with the surrounding jōnin.
Back in their own villages, they were important figures, high-ranking shinobi looked up to by genin and chūnin. But here, they were nothing more than disposable pawns, always one misstep away from death.
Besides the Allied shinobi, another group was silently watching the situation unfold.
Led by the First and Second Hokage, the Konoha team had arrived just after Yahiko and Konan had fallen. But they hadn't acted rashly. They were waiting in hiding for the right moment.
Seeing the standoff between Byakuya and Madara, the Third Hokage spoke, "Tobirama-sensei, this is a good opportunity. We can rendezvous with Tsunade and the others and then make our move against Byakuya and Madara."
Tobirama glanced at Hiruzen and sighed inwardly.
"Hiruzen, if we go out now, we'll only become common enemies to both of them. Better to wait until they really start fighting. This may be our only chance. Right, big brother?"
Hearing his name, Hashirama blinked and said, "Tobirama's got a point. Just do as he says. However, I'd still like to say hello to Madara and try to talk things out. I think they're still reasonable."
Everyone fell silent at Hashirama's naiveté and quickly dismissed his suggestion.
Although Hashirama was incredibly powerful, strategy wasn't his strong suit. That was Tobirama's domain, as his mind was sharp and calculating.
After a few minutes of tense silence, Obito let out a faint sigh and said to Byakuya, "Sorry, Byakuya. The Rinnegan and the Ten Tails cannot be left in your hands. Our cooperation ends here. And just so you know, the Rinnegan was never Nagato's to begin with."
Byakuya ignored Obito and turned to Madara.
"Madara, does he speak for you? Are you really choosing to become my enemy? Don't forget, both Nagato and the Rinnegan are in my hands right now."
Madara replied calmly, "If your goal were truly the Infinite Tsukuyomi, I wouldn't mind letting you control the Ten Tails. But your objective has never been that. You want to control the Ten Tails and become the second Sage of Six Paths. To make the entire shinobi world kneel at your feet."
Byakuya replied without hesitation, "And what's wrong with that? If I can maintain peace across the shinobi world like the First Hokage did for decades, and if I can live for hundreds of years with the Ten Tails' power, then I can ensure peace for centuries."
Madara shook his head. "That's not true peace. Hashirama did bring a few decades of peace, but after his death came the First Great Ninja War. That war's scale far surpassed the clan battles of the Warring States Era. Countless clans, with lineages stretching back thousands of years, were destroyed, like the Senju and the Uzumaki."
Madara then narrowed his eyes, "Even if you suppress the world with the Ten Tails, after your death, there will be an even more devastating war. Only the Infinite Tsukuyomi can truly bring eternal peace. At the end of the day, you just want to fight me for control over the Ten Tails."
Byakuya snorted and said, "I've wanted to fight you for a long time. I want to see whether the Shura of the old Shinobi world is stronger, or whether I am superior."
Before his voice had even faded, an overwhelming burst of chakra surged from Byakuya as he lunged toward Madara Uchiha.
Just as he was about to reach Madara, Obito stepped in and blocked his path. He said slowly, "Byakuya, your opponent is me. We haven't settled our score yet, have we?"
Byakuya glanced down at him with a sneer, saying, "Really dude? You a loser? Come on buddy, be a little more mature, if not stronger."
Obito stepped forward and directly grabbed Byakuya, dragging him into the Kamui space. Feeling the pull of the void, Byakuya didn't resist and allowed himself to enter.
The moment Byakuya vanished, Madara made his move. His target was Nagato.
Inside the Kamui space, Byakuya stared at Obito and said, "So this is your plan, to trap me in Kamui while Madara targets Nagato to seize his Rinnegan? Have you even considered that Madara might get the Rinnegan, but you will definitely die?"
Pausing briefly, Byakuya continued, "I remember Kamui space syncs with the Shinobi world. Even if you phase out in the real world, I can still strike you from Kamui. Are you sure you can withstand my attacks?"
Obito's expression shifted slightly, as he hadn't anticipated Byakuya studying his ability so thoroughly. However, he was not unprepared. Byakuya was an adversary that needed to be defeated. Obito had even gone so far as to excavate graves from every major village, gathering an army of reanimated corpses specifically to confront him.
After clapping his hands, a group of reincarnated shinobi appeared before Byakuya.
Judging by their chakra levels, each of them had at least been an elite jonin in life. Now, they were gathered here as Obito's pawns to take down Byakuya.
Seeing the dozens of reanimated shinobi, Byakuya frowned, his eyes becoming unusually grim.
Obito was pleased with Byakuya's expression. After giving the command to attack, he used Kamui to return to the real world.
The moment he emerged, he was blasted by a Shinra Tensei.
Nagato, who had previously stood there like a lifeless puppet, was now in fierce combat with Madara Uchiha. Upon seeing Obito appear, he demanded, "Masked man, what did you do to Byakuya?"
Obito was briefly stunned, but then seemed to realize something and replied, "Byakuya? He's probably dead by now. But don't worry about him, worry about yourself first."
As soon as the words left his mouth, another wave of Shinra Tensei repulsion hit him. The force was so powerful that even the Gedo Statue staggered back several steps, and Obito was blown hundreds of meters away.
Struggling to steady himself, Obito shouted toward Madara, "Madara, why haven't you taken Nagato out yet? If this drags on, we won't be able to get the Rinnegan!"
"Are you giving me orders?"
Madara Uchiha was clearly displeased, but he held back his temper and launched an attack on Nagato.
As soon as they exchanged blows, Madara immediately sensed Nagato's formidable power. Compared to the version of Nagato from the original timeline, this Nagato, trained personally by Byakuya, was on another level. While he still had the Six Paths of Pain as decoys, Nagato's true body now possessed immense combat strength.
With the blood of both the Senju and Uzumaki clans, Nagato could match Madara in close combat. And with the Gedo Statue backing him, he could even grapple with Susano'o.
As for ninjutsu and genjutsu, neither side bothered. Both wielded Rinnegan, which could absorb all ninjutsu, rendering such techniques meaningless. Their battle turned into a raw, physical contest of power and endurance.
Obito wanted to intervene, but he found no opportunity.
His own strength, at best, was Kage-level. He usually relied heavily on Kamui in battle. But now, with Byakuya fighting inside Kamui space, he dared not use that ability at all.
At this point, he finally understood why Byakuya hadn't resisted being dragged into Kamui.
In exiling Byakuya, he had also sealed off his own escape route. All he could do now was pin his hopes on that army of Edo Tensei. Hopefully, they could take Byakuya down.
---
Meanwhile, Tsunade and the other Allied Shinobi Force leaders began to wake from unconsciousness.
Once awake, they immediately noticed the battle happening above the Gedo Statue. Seeing Nagato, Madara, and the others fighting, they were completely confused. What the hell was going on?
Wasn't Nagato under Byakuya's control? Why was he fighting Madara Uchiha now?
And where was Byakuya? Wasn't he Madara's ally? Had a conflict broken out between them?
Before Tsunade could speak, a weak-looking Yahiko explained, "Byakuya never controlled Nagato. This was all part of his plan to take down Madara Uchiha. He wanted to infiltrate their organization and strike at the critical moment. Unfortunately, it looks like their plan has failed."
Upon hearing this, Tsunade, Ōnoki, and the Fourth Raikage all wore incredulous expressions and turned to Yahiko, "If this was all Byakuya's plan, then why didn't he discuss it with us?"
"We went for a kill shot against him earlier, and Byakuya didn't go easy on us either. What if someone had actually died?"
Konan looked at Tsunade, then stepped forward and said, "The more people who know, the more likely the plan would be exposed. Even Byakuya didn't expect that, after attacking both the Allied leaders and us, his closest friends, he still couldn't win Madara's trust."
Tsunade sighed quietly, and the Fourth Raikage looked visibly frustrated.
Then, as if remembering something, both of them said, "Wait... if Byakuya hasn't betrayed the Alliance, then doesn't that mean Naruto and Killer Bee are safe?"
"I'm not sure about that…"
Konan hesitated, then said, "But I believe in Byakuya. Even if he extracted the Tailed Beasts, he can still keep the jinchūriki alive. His medical ninjutsu is more than capable of doing that."
With even Konan saying that, Tsunade and the Fourth Raikage had no choice but to trust it.
Though they were still alive, regaining their combat capabilities would require time for healing and recovery, at least another ten minutes.