Jiraiya watched the ominous explosion of the Ten Tails and instantly felt a sense of dread.
"Naruto, what's going on? Should we stop them?" he asked, his voice edged with urgency.
Killer Bee and Gyūki, having experienced the future with Naruto, knew the overall direction of events—but even they were unsure of Naruto's current intent. Based on what had happened in the previous timeline, they had always aimed to stop Obito and Sasuke from resurrecting the Ten Tails. Once brought back, things would spiral into chaos.
Naruto furrowed his brows, watching intently. "Wait a little longer," he said calmly.
Obito gave a cold snort. "Naruto, very good. Not resisting is the best outcome."
Sasuke withdrew his hand from the summoning seal and looked toward the frenzied Gedo Statue. It thrashed violently, grotesque eyes erupting across its surface, as if in pain.
"Is this enough?" Sasuke asked.
Obito nodded. "Yes, it's sufficient. Now we just wait for the Ten Tails to be fully resurrected."
Sasuke narrowed his gaze at Naruto. "He won't stand by. He'll definitely make a move before the resurrection is complete."
Obito tilted his head and looked at Sasuke, a smile curling his lips. "What? Are you afraid of him?"
Sasuke scoffed. "As if. Don't joke around."
Suddenly, Naruto's eyes snapped up. He felt something deep in his core, a presence.
"...He's here."
BOOM!
A figure plummeted from the sky, landing beside Obito and kicking up a massive cloud of dust.
Jiraiya squinted through the haze. "That is—?!"
Obito didn't even flinch. A familiar voice broke through the dust.
"Obito, you seem to be enjoying yourself quite a bit."
Uchiha Madara stood tall, dust rolling off his crimson armor from the Warring States Era.
Obito didn't turn to look. Instead, he casually tossed the Gunbai—Madara's iconic war fan—over his shoulder. "Perfect timing. Take back what's yours."
Madara caught it effortlessly, letting out a cold snort.
Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "Uchiha Madara…"
The chakra signature, the armor, the familiarity with Obito—Sasuke had no doubt. This was the real thing.
Madara studied Sasuke in return. His Rinnegan gleamed in his left eye, while his right held the Mangekyō Sharingan. A fine Uchiha specimen, he thought.
But—why did this boy possess a Rinnegan?
"Obito, tell me—where is Nagato's Rinnegan?" Madara demanded.
Obito tapped his forehead, signaling toward Naruto. "You see that golden glow? That's the one. Naruto deceived Nagato into giving it up."
Madara froze. His voice grew sharp. "What?! Are you serious? How could Nagato, with the Rinnegan, be tricked like that?!"
He clenched the war fan tightly. Those eyes were supposed to be his—key to the Eye of the Moon Plan. Hearing this made his heart ache.
Obito replied, unfazed. "Nagato didn't have them stolen. He gave them up willingly. Well... not willingly, exactly. Naruto used Genjutsu—specifically, Uchiha Shisui's Kotoamatsukami."
Madara's expression shifted to disbelief.
Sasuke added, "It's a Genjutsu that manipulates reality itself. A unique technique among all ocular Genjutsu. Once activated, it alters the victim's will without them even realizing it."
Madara fell silent for a moment, considering the implications. His face tightened, but he eventually nodded in acknowledgment.
"A reality-warping Genjutsu, comparable to Izanagi... among Uchiha's descendants, someone managed to awaken such a power?"
He looked back at Sasuke, then narrowed his eyes further. "And your Rinnegan? Where did it come from?"
Obito smirked. "With your knowledge and Kabuto's research, I found another reincarnation—Sasuke. His eyes awakened just like yours did."
Madara took a long look at Sasuke. Indeed, the boy even bore a faint resemblance to his younger brother, Izuna.
Not bad. A fine vessel.
"You've done well, Obito. This partner... he seems like he shares our vision."
Madara's words carried a double meaning.
First: this boy is one of us. He'll help execute the Eye of the Moon Plan.
Second: You've secured a backup plan. If this boy betrays us, you can still take his Rinnegan.
Obito nodded slightly. "You can rest assured. Sasuke is a loyal partner."
Madara's lips curled in satisfaction. It meant Obito had implanted a failsafe to control Sasuke, just like he once did with Nagato.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Four figures landed like thunderclaps.
The First Hokage, Hashirama Senju.
The Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
And a Shadow Clone of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze.
Tobirama raised an eyebrow as he glanced at the Fourth. "Your Flying Thunder God Technique... it surpasses mine."
Just then, Minato dispelled the Shadow Clone behind him. "Ah, sorry, Nidaime. That was just one of my clones."
Tobirama blinked. Two Minatos? "...I see."
Jiraiya zipped over and threw his arms around the Third Hokage. "Old man!"
"Still as childish as ever," Hiruzen said with a nostalgic smile.
Tobirama turned to Hiruzen. "Monkey, who is this loudmouth?"
The Third Hokage introduced proudly, "This is Jiraiya, my student."
Jiraiya immediately composed himself. "Shodai-sama. Nidaime-sama. It's an honor."
Hashirama gave a warm nod. "You're a fine shinobi. It's good to see strong descendants of Konoha."
Tobirama studied Jiraiya with interest. "Hmm. Not bad. He's got Sage Chakra—same as my brother. You've trained well, Monkey. Tsunade, Orochimaru, and now Jiraiya... all strong students."
Jiraiya chuckled, scratching his head bashfully.
The Third Hokage beamed with pride, while Orochimaru—watching from the woods—felt a pang of discomfort. After all, he'd killed his former master.
As if sensing him, Hiruzen glanced toward a specific direction.
Jiraiya followed his gaze. "Orochimaru's over there, hiding with Naruto's team. Watching the battle."
The Third Hokage narrowed his eyes. "Jiraiya!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Go bring him here."
Jiraiya saluted and took off immediately.
Seeing him approach, Orochimaru's instinct was to vanish.
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