"Hashirama, who is this?" Madara's vision was blurry, but he still had a little sight left. He tried to make out the old man's figure and found no trace of him in his memory. Yet, looking at this elder, he felt a strange sense of familiarity from the depths of his soul.
It seemed the other person would not harm him, and he, in turn, felt no desire to confront the old man.
The feeling was subtle, and his expression filled with hesitation.
Master Six Paths turned his head slightly, and Madara was stunned to discover that this old man also had the Rinnegan!
A question similar to Sasuke's arose in his mind. What was going on? Had the "prevalence" of the Rinnegan become so high these days? Could you just grab any random "old man" off the street and find he had the Rinnegan?
Hashirama had come directly from the Shinigami to the Netherworld, arriving a bit earlier, so he had some idea of the situation. He coughed, then realized he was a soul and the gesture was a bit foolish. "Ahem, Madara, this is the Sage of Six Paths. The old man isn't just the ancestor of the shinobi world, but also the progenitor of the Senju clan and the Uchiha clan."
He floated closer to Madara's side and said in a hushed voice, "He seems to be young Ino's master. Hahahaha—you said young Tsunade is young Ino's master, and now our ancestor is her master too. By that logic, doesn't that make young Tsunade the same generation as the old Sage? And since I'm young Tsunade's biological grandfather... hahaha!"
His voice started low, but as he got to the triumphant part, he couldn't help but put his hands on his hips and laugh boisterously.
Madara looked at him as if he were a rare animal. What kind of bizarre logic was that? Was this really the most important thing right now?
Master Six Paths, his back to the two "men," felt a bit awkward himself.
My younger son has reincarnated so many times. Among them all, you, Senju Hashirama, were the strongest, but you're also the biggest goofball!
After a moment of silence, Madara was the first to speak.
He asked stiffly, "The renowned ancestor of the shinobi world, the Sage of Six Paths? You've come to see me, and you even brought this fool along. Is there something you need?"
Master Six Paths turned around, his gaze as tranquil as an old well as he looked at the two of them.
"My attachments to this world are dwindling. Before I depart, I wish to settle matters one by one... I too have two sons, and they were much like the two of you. Not long ago, they finally resolved their conflict and reconciled. I hope that I can also help you resolve a dispute that has lasted for many years."
At the mention of this, Senju Hashirama's expression grew solemn.
The friendship between him and Madara still existed, but their ideals differed, which was the root cause of their eventual parting of ways.
However, if Madara were willing to abandon his extremist ideas, he hoped they could return to how they were before. He had no objections on that front; the key was Madara.
Uchiha Madara sneered, "A dispute? Can what happened between us truly be summarized by a simple word like 'dispute'?"
He thought for a few seconds, looked at Master Six Paths, then back at Hashirama. "You said your sons were much like us? I suspect it's more than just a resemblance, isn't it? There's something inside our bodies, something that has always existed, always been there, only disappearing after death. You know it too, Hashirama, don't you?"
Senju Hashirama nodded. Even Naruto could vaguely sense the presence of Asura's chakra, let alone him.
Master Six Paths was silent for a moment. "Uchiha Madara, having assimilated the Rinnegan has indeed made you perceptive. To be honest, I have two sons. The elder is named Indra. Madara, you are his reincarnation. My younger son is named Asura, and he reincarnated as Hashirama... It is a long story. Are you willing to listen?"
Senju Hashirama sat cross-legged on the ground, his back perfectly straight. "Old Sage, I'm already dead anyway. It can't hurt to listen to a story."
Madara thought it over and also slowly sat down. "My eyes are about to go blind, the Ten-Tails was forcibly extracted, and my body is severely damaged. I couldn't beat Obito even if I went back now, so I might as well listen. But let me make one thing clear beforehand: don't even think about brainwashing me. That Will of Fire, Will of Stone, or whatever—the very names make me sick!"
Master Six Paths chuckled lightly. "Your personalities are truly interesting. Very well, I shall start from the beginning..."
While Master Six Paths was telling his story to the two powerhouses, Ino was giving Obito a thorough beating.
Being the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki granted Obito immense chakra, unparalleled speed and strength, immunity to ninjutsu, and a superior physical recovery rate.
But none of these things were enough to close the gap between him and Ino.
Unlike Obito, who had suddenly "struck it rich," Ino had built her foundation piece by piece, relying on her own "decent" aptitude to train.
The Byakugan, Sharingan, and Rinnegan all provide their users with superior dynamic vision and physical enhancements.
But to think a single Mangekyo Sharingan could stand against two three-magatama Rinnegan? That was pure fantasy. The difference in their ocular power was like heaven and earth.
Obito's fundamentals were also lacking. He was far too reliant on the ability of his Kamui Mangekyo, leaving him with a massive shortcoming: his taijutsu.
His taijutsu had always been poor. It was poor at the academy, and it was still poor after becoming a ninja and even the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki.
Most of the time, he won by relying on his unpredictable Kamui Mangekyo. He himself hadn't really honed his physical skills, muddling through for over a decade. His control over his power was no match for Ino's.
Ino having Hinata cling to her neck, carrying the weight of another person while rock climbing barehanded, was not for nothing.
She opened with a fierce assault, effortlessly weaving together the Hyuga clan's Gentle Fist, Tsunade's Iron Fist, the Sarutobi clan's taijutsu, and the Uchiha clan's taijutsu.
One move would be incredibly ferocious, and the next would become erratic and unpredictable.
Obito seemed to enjoy floating. After becoming the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki, he would wield his shakujo staff and float in the air.
He wielded the shakujo staff with an impenetrable defense, fully intent on an aerial battle.
His flying ability was genuinely terrible, but because it was so bad, it made it difficult for Ino to pinpoint his position during her onslaught. Just when you'd think he should retreat, he would actually fly overhead. When you guessed he had a follow-up move, he'd end up off to the side. He couldn't even control his own direction of flight.
It was a classic example of dragging an opponent down to one's own level.
Ino, unsure if he was doing it intentionally or not, couldn't help but curse, "Is this your tactic? A chaotic brawl? How utterly disgraceful. I feel sorry for Madara. Losing to someone like you has ruined his lifelong reputation."
Obito lifted his head. "Say whatever you want. I will be the victor."
"You pathetic creature!" Ino's speed suddenly increased by fifty percent. She instantly appeared behind him, her fist carrying the force of a thunderclap, creating a sonic boom as she drove it toward the back of his heart.
Obito hurriedly transformed a Truth-Seeking Orb into a chest plate to defend himself.
With a deafening "BANG," the Truth-Seeking Orb was shattered by Ino's fist, which was infused with the power of Yin-Yang Release. Obito was sent flying diagonally for over ten meters, his body tumbling as it carved a deep trench in the ground.
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