Chapter 167: Black Zetsu: "Uchiha Obito, I'll ***"
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, several days had passed.
The moon, with a third of it sliced off, and the massive battle that erupted on the lunar surface, caused an enormous stir in the ninja world.
Everyone was discussing who exactly cut the moon: Otsutsuki Toneri or Uchiha Madara?
No one suspected Izayoi or Nagato, as among the four super-tier combatants, their strength was generally considered slightly inferior.
Especially Nagato, whose Rinnegan had been stolen by Uchiha Madara.
As for Izayoi, if his power was capable of slicing the moon, then Uchiha Madara wouldn't have been the ultimate victor of the final battle.
Because of the peak confrontation between Otsutsuki Toneri and Nagato, and the final battle between the puppet army and the Edo Tensei army, the Tenseigan and Rinnegan had come to be regarded by the world as powers superior to Wood Release.
Especially with the added myth of the Sage of Six Paths, the power of the Sage Eyes became even more deeply ingrained in people's minds.
Many believed that Otsutsuki Toneri had cut the moon, because among the two Sage Eyes, the Rinnegan and Tenseigan, the Tenseigan's abilities were the most mysterious.
However, some also believed that Uchiha Madara was the one who cut the moon.
Because in this era, there were still many old monsters who survived from the Warring States Period, and they had all heard stories of the Susanoo.
The legendary God of Destruction, from whom escape was impossible once seen, possessed the power to reshape landscapes.
The Valley of the End was originally a plain in the Land of Rice Fields. It was only after the battle between the God of Shinobi and the Demon of the Shinobi World that it became one of the most famous landmarks in the ninja world.
Now, Uchiha Madara's Sharingan had transformed into the Rinnegan, and it was rumored that he could still use the power of Susanoo. It was highly likely that the moon was cut by the combined power of his Sharingan and Rinnegan.
In short, everyone had their own arguments.
But since none of the involved parties came forward to clarify, it became one of the most mysterious events in the world.
After this battle, the prestige of Otsutsuki Toneri and Uchiha Madara surged once again.
Regardless of who cut the moon, no one died in that battle, implying that one of them possessed the power to slice the moon, while the other possessed immense strength that made them fearless of such moon-cutting power.
In the eyes of the ninja world, their strength had reached the level of the Sage of Six Paths.
In myths, the Sage of Six Paths created the moon.
Whether this story was true or false, no one knew.
However, now, everyone had personally witnessed the moon being cut.
This was simply the power of myth returning.
As fellow super-tier combatants, Nagato and Izayoi only possessed the power to reshape landscapes, while Uchiha Madara and Otsutsuki Toneri had the power to destroy celestial bodies.
The disparity in strength was clear at a glance.
The higher-ups of the Five Great Nations hadn't had a good night's sleep for days.
Both the Five Kage and the Daimyo frequently woke up from nightmares these days.
Especially the Daimyo, who recently had no mood for card games or nightly revelry.
In previous Ninja World Wars, no matter how grand the scale, they never affected the privileged like them.
After all, after the God of Shinobi and the Demon of the Shinobi World died, the Five Kage were the strongest beings in this world.
And the Five Kage did not possess the power to reshape landscapes.
Figures like Konoha's White Fang and Orochimaru, along with many S-rank rogue ninja, all had the strength to become Kage.
But they could still be overwhelmed by sheer numbers and die.
Even the Third Raikage, at the pinnacle of the Kage, could be exhausted to death by an army of ten thousand.
Even if a Ninja World War was lost, the Five Great Ninja Villages couldn't completely destroy each other, and the Daimyo only needed to make concessions and pay reparations.
But now, powers that could reshape landscapes and destroy celestial bodies had successively appeared.
This had severely impacted the Daimyo's rule.
If Izayoi wished, he could completely overthrow the Land of Fire's Daimyo's rule, and so could Nagato.
As for Uchiha Madara and Otsutsuki Toneri, there was no need to even mention them.
Their strength was enough to easily destroy the world, let alone rule the ninja world.
The Daimyo, accustomed to this lifestyle, could not help but panic at the thought of impending retribution, the constant threat of their status and power being stripped away, and even their countries and villages being annihilated in an instant.
As Konoha's only super-tier combatant among the Five Great Ninja Villages, Izayoi's influence had reached a level second only to Hashirama Senju.
The Daimyo frequently sent officials to Konoha, using the excuse of increasing military funding to communicate with Tsunade, but they never finalized anything. Instead, they subtly hinted to Tsunade that if she quickly abdicated to Izayoi, the Daimyo would increase Konoha's benefits.
Tsunade didn't immediately grasp this until Shikaku Nara explained it, at which point she found herself both amused and exasperated.
Because of this, whenever she went to Izayoi's house for free meals and drinks, she often teased him about it.
As for abdicating, that was currently out of the question.
The Five Great Nations and Five Great Ninja Villages operated under a 'one country, one village' system; one governed politics, the other military, they were completely different domains.
The Daimyo, for their sense of security, wished Izayoi would immediately take over Konoha.
However, in Tsunade's eyes, while Izayoi was excellent, he didn't yet possess the ability to lead Konoha.
After all, she didn't know that Izayoi was 'Otsutsuki Toneri,' nor that Izayoi had lived two lives. She simply felt his strength was solely in combat and that he needed a few more years of training.
Izayoi wasn't overly eager for the position of Hokage either. The only reason he was willing to become the Sixth Hokage was to give Hinata the title of Hokage's wife.
His goal, from beginning to end, was to break free from the constraints of lifespan.
Since Tsunade wasn't immediately abdicating, he was happy to play around for a few more years.
After the moon incident, Izayoi and the three girls—Hinata, Hanabi, and Karin—returned to their normal lives.
Hinata and Karin went to the Hokage's office to help and learn, while Izayoi took Hanabi out of the village to complete missions, strengthening the bond between brother-in-law and sister-in-law.
Hiashi Hyuga didn't care at all about Izayoi taking his youngest daughter out of the village.
Besides Hinata and the other two girls, only Hiashi Hyuga in the entire ninja world knew Izayoi's true identity.
Only he knew that the person who cut the moon was his future son-in-law.
As the future father-in-law of one of the strongest individuals in the ninja world, Hiashi Hyuga now had a rosy complexion every day and walked with a swagger.
The pressure of being the 'weakest noble clan' had long since vanished.
This 'winner of life' demeanor made the clan heads with daughters grind their teeth, secretly cursing with sour grapes, "Isn't he just lucky?"
"When one person attains enlightenment, even their chickens and dogs ascend to heaven."
This saying perfectly applied to Hiashi Hyuga and the Hyuga clan.
In a secluded, idyllic spot in the Land of Rain.
A gentle stream flowed, clear and bright, and a wooden house stood on its bank.
Konan was pushing Nagato, who was in a wheelchair, for a walk by the stream.
The two chatted, reminiscing about the past.
Konan's cold and beautiful face bore a rare smile.
As the only one without dreams or ambitions among the trio, Konan had always secretly harbored a desire: to return to this wooden house, where the three orphans and Jiraiya had lived for three years, and live like ordinary people.
However, to help Yahiko and Nagato achieve their dreams, she had to suppress this thought.
Unexpectedly, Nagato's desire was the same as hers.
This made Konan very happy.
Just then, Nagato suddenly raised a hand, signaling Konan to stop.
With his eyes bandaged, he turned towards the distant forest and slowly spoke, "Madara, come out."
Hearing this, Konan's expression subtly changed. Her eyes grew wary as she watched Uchiha Madara emerge from the forest, traces of origami appearing on her body.
She thought Uchiha Madara had gone back on his word and still wouldn't let them go.
Sensing Konan's unease, Nagato gently reassured her, "Konan, don't worry, he means no harm."
Hearing this, Uchiha Madara couldn't help but praise, "Your sensory abilities have grown stronger, Nagato. I thought a leisurely life would severely set back your strength."
After speaking, Madara added with a look of regret, "It's a pity you're unwilling to transplant new eyes. Otherwise, with your strength combined with Obito, you would be second only to Hashirama. Even that brat from Konoha wouldn't be able to gain an inch on you."
"I am very satisfied with my current life; there's nothing to regret," Nagato chuckled. "After awakening from the dream, without ambition or pressure, I feel completely relaxed now. My Sage Mode is even closer to nature."
"Your Kagura Mind's Eye is no weaker than Mito's," Uchiha Madara offered high praise.
During the Warring States Period, excluding Hashirama Senju, and besides that fellow Tobirama Senju, only Mito Uzumaki was remembered by Uchiha Madara.
After becoming the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki, the strongest individual in the First Great Ninja War was not the Five Kage of the Five Great Ninja Villages, but Mito Uzumaki, who became a perfect Jinchuriki.
She simply didn't make a move; otherwise, Konoha would have won even more easily.
The praises from the Demon of the Shinobi World did not cause any emotional fluctuations in Nagato.
He simply smiled and then, on behalf of the entire ninja world, asked the question on his mind, "That night, when the moon was cut, were you and Otsutsuki Toneri fighting?"
"Yes," Uchiha Madara nodded.
"Was that strike yours, or Otsutsuki Toneri's?" Nagato asked again.
"It was Otsutsuki Toneri's."
Uchiha Madara, without concealment, smiled, "He struck me from the moon back to Earth in one hit."
Nagato and Konan were left speechless with shock.
Immediately after, Nagato gave a wry smile. "Although I had guessed he was always hiding his strength, I never imagined he was hiding it so deeply, never truly going all out."
"It's not that he wasn't serious, but that the Otsutsuki Toneri you knew might never have been his main body, or perhaps he hadn't completed his final evolution," Uchiha Madara slowly explained. "The Otsutsuki Toneri I saw on the moon was completely different from your impression. Not only did he have horns on his head, but he could also enter a special state and use black orbs to create various substances and natural disasters out of thin air."
"That strike from the moon to Earth was created by those black orbs. Even the Preta Path of the Rinnegan found it difficult to absorb."
"If I'm not mistaken, that special state and the black orbs should be unique dōjutsu of his Tenseigan."
Nagato remained silent.
After a few seconds, he asked, "Did you come to see me today for something?"
"I want you to teach me Sage Mode," Uchiha Madara stated his purpose. "Also, I want to ask you to come back and help me."
Nagato paused, then shook his head with a smile. "I can teach you Sage Mode, but going back to help you is out of the question. I no longer wish to be a ninja."
"Don't be so quick to refuse. I learned a secret on the moon," Uchiha Madara said. "Make your decision after you've seen it."
After speaking, an astonishing amount of Yin Release chakra burst from Uchiha Madara's eyes.
The Yin Release chakra flowed through Nagato's sensory organs into his brain.
In an instant, Nagato regained his sight, his mind transported from the Land of Rain back to ancient times. Like Uchiha Madara, he personally witnessed the ancient secrets, learning of Kaguya Otsutsuki and the Divine Tree's Chakra Fruit, as well as the secret of the Infinite Tsukuyomi and Black Zetsu's true identity.
Seeing that the Infinite Tsukuyomi was a technique to create White Zetsu, Nagato's expression subtly changed.
He hadn't realized that Black and White Zetsu, who had the lowest presence and weakest strength within the Akatsuki, had such astonishing origins.
In the genjutsu world, Nagato saw all the scenes that Uchiha Madara had seen.
Finally, seeing Black Zetsu infiltrate Uchiha Madara's body through the Gedo Mazo's white tubes, Nagato's mouth twitched slightly.
When this scene disappeared, the genjutsu world didn't shatter but continued to display images.
This time, the scene was the conversation between Uchiha Madara and Otsutsuki Toneri.
After watching their conversation, Nagato's face became very grim.
The genjutsu world shattered. Uchiha Madara looked at Nagato in front of him and asked, "What is your decision?"
"Is it all true?" Nagato asked.
"Are you asking about the former or the latter?"
"Both."
"I don't know about the former; I'm very confused right now," Uchiha Madara shook his head, then said with determination, "However, I don't plan to give up the Eye of the Moon Plan, because I want to personally confirm its truth. If it's false, I will abandon my original idea, and vice versa."
"The latter part should be true; that condescending attitude didn't seem feigned."
Uchiha Madara once again pulled Nagato into the genjutsu world and said in a deep voice, "That guy will likely not let me become the Ten-Tails' Jinchuriki easily, so I must improve my own strength, gather powerful allies, and cultivate excellent subordinates to contend with him."
"I will absolutely not allow him to destroy this world!"
The genjutsu world shattered. Nagato used his Kagura Mind's Eye to gaze at Uchiha Madara.
After a moment, he suddenly smiled faintly. "Good, I am willing to return and lend you my strength!"
Seeing this, Uchiha Madara also revealed a slight smile. "Welcome back, Nagato."
Somewhere in the ninja world.
"Madara-sama, where are we going now?"
Black Zetsu, possessing Uchiha Madara's body, asked.
Uchiha Madara held a map in his hand, looking at it as he said, "To find some ruins. I don't know where they are either."
"If it's about finding places, couldn't White Zetsu and I handle it?" Black Zetsu asked, confused.
"Those ruins might only be discoverable by my Rinnegan," Uchiha Madara chuckled meaningfully. "It's fine. Anyway, I'm just a Wood Clone, just like you're the will-incarnation created by the main body. We're both just tools. A little extra work is no big deal, don't you agree?"
"Hehe... you're right," Black Zetsu gave an awkward laugh, but his mood sank to rock bottom.
Clearly, Uchiha Madara had finally grown suspicious of him.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have sent a Wood Clone to monitor and distract him.
The current Uchiha Madara was likely plotting something that even Black Zetsu didn't know.
Thinking of this, Black Zetsu felt a surge of panic and frustration.
The entire rhythm had completely slipped from his control!
A millennium of manipulation, swaying generations of Indra's reincarnations, and now, with Uchiha Madara, he had nearly overturned the plan at the very last moment.
Uchiha Obito, I'll *!
....
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