241-245

Chapter 241: Preparing for Revival 

"You're here..." Madara glanced at Itachi, then looked at the Nine-Tails in Itachi's hand. He frowned. The Nine-Tails was his summoning beast; how could he not know that a complete Nine-Tails couldn't be this weak? And the usually calm Nine-Tails, upon seeing Madara, instantly bristled... Though for some reason, it calmed down shortly after. 

"Black Zetsu is only our temporary friend. We'll just make do with him for now, as there's no telling if he'll turn out to be an enemy." Itachi explained, noticing Madara's strange expression. At this critical juncture, he didn't want any more unexpected conflicts. 

--- 

"Alright." Madara calmed down after hearing Itachi's explanation. For now, his trust in Itachi was still quite high. "Then, let's begin. Where's Toneri?" Itachi released his senses, and finding no unfamiliar auras, he asked. 

"He went out. I didn't see any use for him, so I didn't stop him," Madara explained in response to Itachi's question. 

--- 

Itachi's expression became slightly odd after hearing Madara's words. "Toneri is the sacrifice, the tool used to revive Kaguya Otsutsuki after becoming the Ten-Tails' jinchuriki." 

At this point, Itachi stopped being secretive. His heart was filled with excitement. Kaguya... that alluring yet incredibly powerful woman... The only slight shame was... she was already a mature woman... Itachi smacked his lips, thinking strangely to himself. His thoughts were quite pure... 

--- 

Madara fell silent after hearing Itachi's words... This was just too much of a trick... Itachi hadn't told him, and Black Zetsu hadn't told him either... Now, things were going wrong again... Toneri's strength was evident, and he possessed something that could threaten Madara. This was going to be difficult to handle... 

Black Zetsu had no idea Itachi hadn't told Madara these things. And Itachi assumed Black Zetsu would inform Madara. After all, Toneri was a bargaining chip... 

--- 

A moment later, Madara cruelly sealed away half of the Nine-Tails. Then he began searching for Toneri's whereabouts. But to his surprise, Toneri actually returned on his own. In fact, at their level, they would usually have a psychological premonition if they were being manipulated or in danger. Yet, Toneri returned like a fool, which truly baffled Madara. However, he didn't say anything. He talked with Black Zetsu for several hours. Itachi, meanwhile, didn't leave. He intended to witness the plot he had largely orchestrated unfold with his own eyes. 

--- 

"Tenseigan?" Black Zetsu fell silent after seeing Toneri's eyes... If this was the case, then they couldn't use the Infinite Tsukuyomi to absorb chakra and make the God Tree bloom... And his mother, even if revived, would certainly be much weaker... 

However, thinking of the incredibly cunning Itachi, Black Zetsu fell silent. He suspected that Itachi intentionally caused this to control his mother's power. While the Tenseigan was powerful, it lacked some of the Rinnegan's functions. And this Otsutsuki Toneri also seemed problematic. Why would he return at this time? All these things set off alarm bells in Black Zetsu's mind. He felt that none of them were easy to deal with. 

--- 

Inside the room, Toneri gently stroked the crystal ball. He murmured, "Ancestor, I will diligently complete the task you've given me!" A determined light flickered in Toneri's bluish-white eyes. He originally needed quite a bit of time to evolve his Tenseigan. However, the Tenseigan in his hand suddenly transferred a surge of pure energy into him. And he also saw a projection of his ancestor. 

--- 

Pure Land. 

"I've already entrusted the task to my descendant. Things are so complicated. Do you think my descendant can handle it?" Compared to Hagoromo Otsutsuki, Hamura Otsutsuki's body appeared much more ethereal. His mental state wasn't great either. 

"Didn't you also leave behind a Tenseigan? And the Byakugan dōjutsu power infused into it by your descendants. You can inject all of it into Toneri, allowing him to achieve true transcendence. Then, after tricking the Ten-Tails' jinchuriki, there should be no more chaos in the ninja world," Hagoromo said to his brother. In his eyes, his brother held no secrets. After all, when his brother was asleep, he also observed the clan Hamura had left behind. Of course, as long as they didn't threaten the ninja world, he pretended not to see anything. 

Thinking of this, he felt he needed to make more preparations. For example, Naruto and Sasuke, elevating them to the Six Paths入门 (beginner) level, plus Toneri, who gained Hamura's power to become Six Paths level, should be enough to deal with two Six Paths level individuals. As for the other person... The Sage of Six Paths currently had no good solution. 

--- 

He could only deal with the two anomalies who should have died long ago but didn't first. If he had known things would develop like this, he would have prepared earlier... 

Black Zetsu felt Itachi was preventing his mother from becoming too strong, but then he sensed the aura within Toneri. He had nothing to say. It was already very strong... Reviving by possessing a sacrifice was always better than being sealed forever in the Expansive Truth-Seeking Ball. Black Zetsu thought to himself. 

--- 

"The plan begins in three days." Not sure what Madara was thinking, after making his decision, he personally delivered this news to Itachi. Itachi's heart felt complicated, mixed with a bit of excitement... and a touch of regret... Regret that his power hadn't reached its peak yet, and regret that Naruto and Sasuke might not be involved in this event. After all, even with his long-standing cheat, his power hadn't caught up. It would be even harder for Sasuke and Naruto without dying first. Moreover, without the prerequisite conditions and physical strength, their bodies simply couldn't withstand too much power. Of course, what Itachi didn't realize was that the long-dead Sage of Six Paths had already made preparations for Naruto and Sasuke. He had been continuously strengthening their bodies and refining their chakra. 

--- 

Three days later, a formidable group set off for a rather remote area: the old site of the Land of Whirlpools. Other than some scavengers and intelligence agents, there was hardly anyone else there. 

Madara didn't bring too many people. It was just him, Hashirama, Obito, Black Zetsu, Toneri, and Itachi. 

"What's the next step?" Madara asked Itachi. 

Itachi thought for a moment, then looked at Black Zetsu, gesturing for Black Zetsu to speak. The specific details had changed quite a bit, so he acted like a hands-off boss, pretending he was too lazy to explain. 

--- 

"First, activate the Gedo Statue, which is the Ten-Tails. Then, when the time is right, become the Ten-Tails' jinchuriki." Although the Ten-Tails had two forms, the group couldn't make the Ten-Tails transform into its God Tree form to absorb chakra and create White Zetsu right now. Black Zetsu assessed the situation. He knew what the current circumstances were. They could only wait for his mother's will to descend and revive herself. Everything else was nonsense. He was currently easily manipulated by others. However, he always felt that this Toneri seemed a bit off. He hadn't even had eyes when Black Zetsu last saw him, and now, so soon after, he had the Tenseigan, and his aura was very powerful. Why would he get involved in this mess, even though someone with his strength should have excellent crisis sensing and foresight? 

Chapter 242: Ten-Tails Jinchuriki, Six Paths Toneri 

After a tremendous roar, the Ten-Tails was resurrected… Its ten massive tails thrashed wildly. Not far away, the previously calm sea churned, with waves crashing and foaming everywhere. Six individuals, no bigger than the beast's toenails, calmly observed the scene. 

"Black Zetsu, put a mark on Toneri. If he doesn't cooperate, we'll hold him down, and you can revive your mother," Itachi shot Black Zetsu a look. Black Zetsu instantly understood. While Toneri was sealing the Ten-Tails, Black Zetsu walked to Itachi's side. With chakra blocking sound and perception, Itachi's eyes glowed with a sinister light as he spoke softly. 

"This…?" Black Zetsu looked at Itachi, a bit bewildered, but with extreme vigilance in his heart. He hadn't expected Itachi to know even this; it was too terrifying… 

Seeing the ruthless glint in Itachi's eyes, Black Zetsu swallowed hard and simply nodded. Then, he walked towards Toneri, infusing chakra into Toneri's body. It appeared as if he was helping Toneri speed up the process, but in reality, it concealed a hidden agenda. Black Zetsu's move was incredibly subtle; no one noticed it. 

Meanwhile, Toneri was locked in a struggle with the Ten-Tails. Becoming a Ten-Tails Jinchuriki not only required immense power but also a formidable will, otherwise, it would be impossible to subdue the Ten-Tails' resistance. It just goes to show how powerful and unyielding Tobi's will was when he suppressed the Ten-Tails and became a Six Paths user. 

A moment later, under the curious gazes of Itachi and the others, Toneri, with the help of Black Zetsu and Madara, successfully suppressed the Ten-Tails within his body. At that moment, Toneri's body rapidly ascended into the sky. A fierce surge of chakra erupted from within him. Behind him, Truth-Seeking Orbs materialized one after another, accompanied by a Shakujō staff… 

Toneri's appearance had completely transformed; his demeanor exuded dignity and tranquility. Two horn-like protrusions emerged from his head, and his white robes were adorned with a pattern of magatama, circling his neck like a necklace. 

"Is this the power of our ancestor? No, this power… it's even stronger than the ancestor's…" Toneri pulled a crystal ball from his robes. Compared to the previous crystal ball, which was about the size of his face, this one had shrunk to about the size of a fist. Toneri's eyes gleamed as he greedily absorbed the ocular power within it… This was a Tenseigan left by his ancestor, and with the sacrifices of his clansmen, the ocular power within it had already undergone a massive, powerful transformation. The crystal ball rapidly diminished, quickly shrinking by half. Toneri raised the crystal ball-like Tenseigan and directly pushed it into his forehead… 

The people below calmly watched Toneri. Even as Toneri's aura continued to multiply, no one moved. Toneri, too, ignored the crowd below. He rotated the pure, crystal ball-like Tenseigan, connecting it to his optic nerves. Soon… a golden light appeared in the transparent crystal ball, and many new elements, like stars, dotted its interior. 

"Thank you, all of you, for allowing me to obtain this power." Toneri looked down at them condescendingly, his eyes utterly indifferent, as if he were looking at ants. He gave them a grand display of what it meant to be a traitor. 

"I should be thanking you…" Madara's voice slowly emerged as his body gradually floated upwards. With each slight ascent, his body underwent a drastic transformation. Soon, Madara appeared in front of Toneri, his Shakujō transforming into a long spear that he thrust fiercely towards Toneri. 

Seeing this, Hashirama also transformed into his Six Paths form, appearing behind Toneri, several Truth-Seeking Orbs constantly orbiting in his hands. They quickly transformed into a golden longsword… 

"Golden Wheel Reincarnation Explosion!" Hashirama didn't hesitate, directly slashing at the rapidly expanding Toneri. And Madara, seemingly motionless, had two invisible clones appear on either side of Toneri. This was Limbo: Border Jail… Their coordinated attacks were instant, lethal strikes. 

Toneri felt a slight panic. The techniques of these two made his heart tremble. Instinctively, like Hashirama, he directly pulled six Truth-Seeking Orbs into his hands and swiftly rubbed them together. He was a bit flustered; this was somewhat different from what he had imagined. Hadn't his ancestor promised to send him reinforcements? Had he perhaps shown off too early? Was the support not here yet? 

Toneri, after all, had spent his entire life on the moon, never engaging in battle, lacking combat experience. As soon as he uttered his harsh words, the other two had already prepared their big moves. They were being ruthless, bullying him, a young man who hadn't even come of age… 

Mount Myōboku, Ryūchi Cave… Two figures, their auras steadily rising, paused… 

A sigh echoed from the Pure Land… This fool, just die already… The moment he gained power, he was already planning to betray them, even trying to sell off his ancestor's Tenseigan… He was truly a beast… 

In truth, Toneri hadn't expected the Ten-Tails' will to be so powerful. His mind was constantly filled with negative energy, making it hard for him to bear. His desires had been amplified countless times. The innocent heart he once possessed… had fallen, or rather, when his power erupted, he was influenced by the Ten-Tails' will… He was just a naive young man, after all… 

With attacks from both sides, Toneri only had one move… He was momentarily confused… unsure how to fight… 

Feeling the sharp points at his back, like sitting on needles, Toneri unleashed a powerful horizontal slash. Since they were all enemies, he didn't care. Seeing this, Hashirama, who was originally going to give the young opponent a chance, realized this little guy was quite ruthless. The yellow light in his hand didn't hesitate, striking towards Toneri's back. The remaining few Truth-Seeking Orbs transformed into a massive shield to block the front… 

Madara's main body ceased its movements. The Golden Wheel Reincarnation Explosion, especially the one released by Toneri's three Tenseigan, was truly an explosive amount of energy. He didn't want to take it head-on… Five Truth-Seeking Orbs formed a thick shield in front of him… His invisible, tangible clones were instantly obliterated. The shield in front of Madara was also sent reeling, showing the ferocity of the attack. Hashirama's yellow light sword, the Golden Wheel Reincarnation Explosion, struck Toneri's back. Even with Toneri's hastily conjured Truth-Seeking Orb shield, it broke through, sending him plummeting downwards. However, Hashirama couldn't withstand Toneri's Golden Wheel Reincarnation Explosion himself; his body was directly split in two. Although both were Tenseigan users, the opponent had the Ten-Tails plus the third, super Tenseigan, making his power incredibly strong. A horizontal line stretched far, far away… The sky seemed to be cut in half. Without exaggeration, this single strike could cleave the moon in two without any effort, like slicing tofu… 

Hashirama landed on the ground, blood spurting from his waist. His body glowed, healing, yet it seemed to be suppressed by some force, firmly blocked… Hashirama didn't hesitate, immediately activating Sage Mode. Finally… the bleeding stopped… Tobi silently picked up half of Hashirama's body… He didn't dare to move recklessly now… He could only wait quietly… This atmosphere was truly putting him in a difficult position… 

Itachi, sensing the explosive aura within Toneri, frowned slightly and took a few steps back, blending into an inconspicuous position. Damn, I can only create two Truth-Seeking Orbs. Even Hashirama can't block this; going in would be suicide. He had anticipated Toneri's combat power as a Ten-Tails Jinchuriki, but he hadn't expected him to use that technique. The energy of the Tenseigan in his forehead was roughly the sum of Toneri's two Tenseigan. Indeed, the older ginger is spicier… Hamura wasn't easy to deal with either. Toneri's body, which had almost been split in two, was rapidly healing. This was a good opportunity, yet Black Zetsu remained stagnant, as if wanting to further exhaust Madara and Hashirama's strength. 

"What the hell are you thinking?! Can't you sense that Tenseigan in his forehead? Plus, he's the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki. Once he gets used to his power, suppressing him will be impossible!" Itachi's voice, like a booming bell, rang in Black Zetsu's ears, making him shiver. The voice was too loud… He also understood Itachi's meaning. Black Zetsu looked at Toneri, who was standing up and rapidly healing, feeling his scalp tingle. The good timing has passed… If I charge now, won't I just be asking to die? 

Madara's brow furrowed slightly. This is going to be a tough fight. Is a Ten-Tails Jinchuriki really this fierce? If I had known, I would have used it myself. Why let Toneri play with it? And what's this about summoning Kaguya? With this kind of power, I could cross planets and just have fun out there. At this moment, he vaguely felt that Itachi was somewhat unreliable… Itachi's selfishness annoyed him a bit. In truth, Madara had no idea that Itachi was doing all this simply to lay the groundwork for a counter-attack against the Ōtsutsuki clan… If he had known Toneri would become a Six Paths user so quickly, he might have been a bit reluctant. After all, what kind of situation is it when your home is constantly being invaded? Of course, you have to fight back… 

Toneri remained motionless. A figure had appeared in his consciousness, helping him suppress the Ten-Tails' backlash. 

"You foolish boy, you're too weak, letting a tiny Ten-Tails influence your mind," Hamura appeared in Toneri's mind. Toneri's eyes gradually cleared, though the light in his forehead dimmed considerably… 

At some unknown moment, two auras were rapidly approaching the scene. This made Itachi feel a bad premonition… This Toneri seemed to be adapting a bit too quickly… 

As for Madara, there was nothing to say. Two massive meteorites were rapidly falling from above, aimed precisely at Toneri. And now, the extraterrestrial meteorites finally broke through the clouds, displaying their true might. The sea surface surged, waves restlessly roiling, and towering waves several zhang high surged into the distance, growing ever larger and more formidable. 

A monk, striking his wooden fish, looked at the grotesque meteorites appearing in the distance, and other colors appeared in his calm eyes. As if sensing something, Toneri looked up. Truth-Seeking Orbs rapidly appeared behind him, as if by magic. Soon, three Truth-Seeking Orbs floated into his hands, which he continuously rubbed together. A green light screen appeared… A tornado burst forth from the light screen… The small tornado was incredibly fast and rapidly growing in size. In the blink of an eye, it became a giant hundreds of meters tall… Under the somewhat stunned gazes of the crowd, the Chibaku Tensei with a diameter of tens of thousands of meters was reduced to dust… That's right, it was directly cut into powder by an invisible force… Not a single piece of rubble remained… This was power that made one's scalp tingle… 

Itachi felt like this was beyond his scope now; he felt like making a quick exit… There's no playing around here… My little body can't even play the support role. This is way too far off the plan… 

Hashirama's injuries had healed, and he stood up again, without hesitation. He clasped his hands together. The earth shook and the mountains trembled, as if the land had experienced a magnitude ten earthquake. It was also as if an ancient, monstrous beast had broken free from its seal… Soon, a Wood Style: Wood Golem over a thousand meters tall formed in an incredibly short time… The Wood Golem was massive, with countless arms behind it, each fist enormous. To make matters worse, the giant Buddha was also enveloped in powerful Six Paths Sage Mode chakra. Its physical and ninjutsu penetration were practically maxed out, coupled with that one hundred percent attack speed. Itachi didn't even think; his figure vanished from the spot… Spectating has its risks… 

BOOM! 

The giant Buddha didn't hesitate. They were all seasoned veterans; they wouldn't waste time with taunts. It went straight for the big attack. The giant Buddha vibrated, and the ground cracked. It simply couldn't withstand such a massive body… Toneri's small head was filled with a big question mark. Each fist was roughly several times his size… This… 

Before he could complain, Madara had unknowingly appeared behind him… The ground rapidly collapsed… A thousand-meter tall Susanoo appeared. The moment it manifested, it formed hand signs… to enhance its ninjutsu power. But soon, Madara seemed to change his mind, stopping after forming two hand signs. Two enormous greatswords were drawn. They were plunged into the ground… Toneri was a bit bewildered… He simply transformed his Truth-Seeking Orbs into shields, strengthening them layer by layer. 

BANG! 

The Wood Golem attacked. For a moment, the few spectators each used their own abilities and vanished without a trace… The Golem's fists began to move with force, creating massive sonic booms as they rubbed against the air. The flames on the giant fists seemed enchanted… 

BANG… 

The Truth-Seeking Orb round shield, which was originally heavy as a mountain, seemed to become a mere ball, directly flung away. And Madara stood behind it with his two swords… Toneri was like a ping-pong ball controlled by a paddle… The critical thing was that the Truth-Seeking Orb's energy was rapidly depleting. The opponent's realm was not much worse than his own; he simply couldn't ignore their attacks. He was being hit so hard his head was spinning… If he had known this, he would have flown into the sky even if he couldn't avoid the area attack. He could have flown out of the atmosphere and been fine. Now, this was getting ugly… 

The dense, hammering attacks continued for almost ten minutes. The ground had been scraped away by several hundred meters. The horizon successfully met the sea. And the area previously covered by seawater had become a beach… All the water had turned into spray, rolling towards other coastal cities… 

"Did it finally stop…?" Toneri murmured. At this moment, he felt dizzy and his body felt completely dislocated. And to think, with his body's toughness, he shouldn't be feeling this way… 

Madara frowned slightly, released his grip, and the two greatswords turned to dust. But the sphere was still there… Although it looked much thinner, it still hadn't been broken through… Hashirama was panting, a little disappointed… He was tired… Compared to the Ten-Tails' endless chakra, he ultimately had a limit. Although he still had plenty of chakra in his body, and it was still recovering. But the immense chakra he had refined in that instant and the chakra he used during the attack were completely depleted… 

Itachi, with his pale Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan activated, stood on a distant mountain peak, continuously using his perception to analyze the Truth-Seeking Orbs of the others. He planned to take a shortcut. And the results were quite good, like accelerating onto a highway. 

"Woah!" 

Under everyone's gaze, the spherical Truth-Seeking Orb created by Toneri dissipated. Toneri crawled out… and immediately began to vomit profusely… He almost threw up his intestines… Ten minutes, a full ten minutes! Who knew what he had endured…? 

"Woah!" Thinking of this, the fountain of vomit surged forth again, endless spewing. Looking at the dazed Toneri, Madara felt a strange sense of satisfaction. Finally, someone else feels the power of this technique, huh…? 

Seeing the disheveled Toneri, Hashirama didn't hesitate. He rapidly rubbed together the quickly forming Truth-Seeking Orbs. He was like a emotionless ball-making machine. Giving the opponent a chance to breathe would only be asking for death. And Madara also reformed a massive longsword… Intertwined with it was world-changing energy, constantly pulsating, as if it was about to cleave the heavens and earth… 

"Black Zetsu, hurry up and move!" Madara's actions paused as he saw Black Zetsu appear. Hashirama also paused slightly upon seeing this… The immense energy in his hand rapidly dissipated. 

"I need your help; he's too strong now… I can't do anything," Black Zetsu said, approaching a few steps. Toneri, as if sensing something, swayed as he looked at Black Zetsu. Black Zetsu quickly shouted. 

"You dare!" Toneri vaguely heard Black Zetsu's words, but he was far too dizzy. He could only roar, trying to intimidate Black Zetsu. 

"Woah!" Toneri's breathing became erratic again due to his shout. The fountain of vomit once again gushed forth. He was probably the first Six Paths level ninja to vomit… And this dizziness made him utterly nauseous. Even chakra couldn't alleviate it… He could barely stand now. 

"Is it finally almost done?" Itachi reappeared on the battlefield, murmuring softly. But then, his expression changed slightly… Because two figures appeared on the horizon… One yellow, one blue. Both held black rods on their shoulders. Four Truth-Seeking Orbs floated behind each of them. It was none other than Naruto and Sasuke. 

Naruto's eyes glowed with golden cross-shaped pupils. And Sasuke's eyes—both had transformed into Rinnegan! However, the aura within him was somewhat unstable, as if it had been temporarily boosted. But Itachi sensed a hint of his father's aura in Sasuke's eyes. This also meant that Sasuke had merged with his father's Mangekyo Sharingan. 

"Five minutes," Madara said calmly, before Itachi could speak, stating a number. Toneri was currently suppressed. If they gave up now, all their efforts would be in vain. Hashirama didn't speak. Black Zetsu was trying to activate his mark, but the effect wasn't ideal, even with Madara and Hashirama's assistance. 

Chapter 243: Amaterasu Ōmikami - Itachi 

As if sensing Itachi's gaze, Obito's body was enveloped in a vortex, retreating first out of respect... He was originally here to pick up scraps, but things were already so intense, it seemed there wasn't much opportunity. Right now, it looked like Madara and the others were suppressing Toneri, but if he made any rash moves, he could imagine the consequences. Especially after that thousand-meter Susanoo and Wood Style just now... 

"Uchiha Itachi, move aside." Just as Itachi was about to unleash some verbal jabs, he heard the cold, unified voices of a young Sasuke and Naruto. Itachi looked closely, a surge of anger in his heart. Both of their eyes were empty, clearly indicating they were being controlled... As for what was controlling them? He didn't need to think; he knew it was the wills of Asura and Indra. Perhaps they were using those two wills as a medium to control the two kids' minds. And the mastermind... an old man's figure appeared in Itachi's mind... Otsutsuki Hagoromo. 

"Otsutsuki Hagoromo, I know it's you. Let's talk." Thinking this, Itachi spoke out loudly. 

"Heh, cunning brat, trying to buy time, are you?" The unified voice echoed from Sasuke and Naruto. Along with it came two whooshing sounds. Naruto and Sasuke's youthful, innocent figures, armed with black rods, attacked Itachi... Itachi cursed inwardly; that old geezer. He wouldn't even give him a chance to speak... All he was doing was for the ninja world, to reduce internal strife and fight the Otsutsuki! 

A terrifying energy emanated from the wooden rods, making Itachi fearful. And yet, he couldn't use Flying Raijin to escape. He could only force himself to stay put. If he let them pass, there would undoubtedly be a group battle. And Toneri clearly seemed to be on the old man's side. 

Itachi concentrated his mental power, staring intently at the attacking black rods. He couldn't dodge... Itachi had his answer... Unless he used Flying Raijin to escape... But if he did, that side would instantly collapse. That timing earlier was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, struck when Toneri was distracted. Now, Toneri was gradually gaining fine control over his power, and at that point, holding him down would be impossible. And then, it would be uncertain if he could even survive. Even if he did, the plan would be indefinitely delayed. If he missed this opportunity, he would only be able to passively take hits... 

Thud! 

Itachi twisted his body, dodging one of Naruto's blows. But Sasuke's long rod struck him on the shoulder... Despite being a black rod, it was incredibly sharp. Itachi's arm was directly severed and flew off... His body flew dozens of meters backward... 

"Looks like you're looking for death..." The old man had originally intended to repel Itachi to stop the plan, but he hadn't expected to succeed with one blow. He seemed to have changed his mind. 

Itachi's usually calm eyes showed a hint of panic at this sight. The hand on the ground was still forming a hand seal... Had his Rinnegan seen through it completely? This was the first time. It was beyond Itachi's control. His usually infallible hand seal speed and stealth had subtly lulled him into a false sense of security, making him too reliant... And this was fatal. At the Six Paths level, attacks were like lightning; there was no time for him to form hand seals. 

A searing pain shot through his severed hand, and a strange power was preventing his body from regenerating... 

"Still distracted..." Unbeknownst to him, the roles had reversed. Itachi, his mind racing with scattered thoughts, became distracted again. And the price... 

Hiss! 

His other arm flew off again... The opponent was toying with him like a cat with a mouse... And each time, it was Sasuke who struck him with such brutality... The opponent wasn't just trying to crush his body; they wanted to crush his soul. 

"How does it feel to be attacked by your own little brother? You hateful ant..." Sasuke taunted, watching Itachi lose another arm. However, his tone had changed slightly... This was probably Indra's will controlling the body, as Hagoromo was no longer in charge. After all, Indra was a powerful individual and wouldn't do something so idiotic. Perhaps his will had been suppressed for too long and was now overflowing. 

Looking at Itachi, whose eyes were a bit dazed, Sasuke didn't deliver a killing blow. Instead, his body transformed into a sharp blade, charging at Itachi. Naruto, meanwhile, had a complicated look in his eyes. It seemed he didn't want to gang up on Itachi but couldn't defy Hagoromo's orders. 

Bang! 

"First time I've seen Itachi this miserable..." Obito watched with interest as Itachi, now armless, flew backward. 

"Just finish him off," Asura said, looking at the somewhat sickly Indra with a slight frown. He couldn't stand it anymore. 

"Hmph!" Indra, controlling Sasuke, snorted coldly. He ignored Asura and continued to use punches and kicks, treating Itachi like a punching bag. Itachi had already fallen unconscious. It wasn't a battle of equals. 

"You can do it..." He didn't know when... In the depths of Itachi's consciousness, a voice appeared, slightly cold, with a detached but subtly emotional tone. Itachi, who had been continuously falling into an abyss, suddenly awoke... 

"Uchiha Itachi..." His gaze seemed to pierce through the abyss before him, seeing a solitary, proud figure... Seeing the other person awakened by his call, Uchiha Itachi's lips curved into a slight smile, and he dispersed into countless light particles... 

"So that's how it is..." The light particles dissipated, constantly merging into the depths of Itachi's soul... 

"Ah, how boring..." As if bored, Indra pointed the tip of his rod at Itachi's head. There was no point in hitting a punching bag anymore. Three minutes left; it was time to complete the old man's mission... Since the two kids were disobedient, the old man, seeing the urgency, could only suppress their wills and let them control their bodies. Once the war ended and the main body's will was eliminated... they could live a new life. How wonderful... Indra thought happily. 

Just as the rod came closer to Itachi's eyes, Itachi's eyes snapped open... A pair of calm, unruffled eyes... 

"What?!" Under Indra's gaze... Itachi's eyes rapidly transformed into white... A hint of silver appeared at his hair roots... rapidly spreading... The black rod was gently caught by Itachi's rapidly growing arm... Itachi's falling body stopped, then he lightly pushed off the air with his toes, as if standing on solid ground. It was completely different from his previous precarious stance in mid-air. 

"Had enough?" Itachi spoke... his voice slightly hoarse. The silver finally spread across his entire body... One after another, Truth-Seeking Orbs rapidly appeared behind him... Originally, he could only create three... But just now, he received a memory... It was the last inheritance that man left him... That man had truly... departed forever... completely merging with him... 

Looking at Itachi standing in the void, Indra panicked... A complete Six Paths level power... Asura looked at Itachi's figure, silent... Itachi's hair had turned silver, flowing freely in the wind. His divine robe had no sleeves, as if gnawed by a dog. On the white robe, the prominent tomoe, and the exposed collarbone due to the unzipped collar, were all covered in tomoe... The seven Truth-Seeking Orbs behind him bobbed up and down like playful children, as if possessing their own sentience. And the materialized Six Paths Staff was transformed by Itachi into a long spear, resting on his shoulder. 

"Impossible, you were clearly so far off, there's no way you could just instantly ascend to Six Paths level..." Seeing Itachi's appearance, Indra's face turned pale, his mental state somewhat collapsing. It was like living a nightmare... He couldn't believe that the person he had been toying with just moments ago was now stronger than him in the blink of an eye. What else could this be but a dream? Especially the high-and-mighty demeanor of his opponent, which dealt him a heavy blow. He didn't want to see that kind of attitude on anyone else's face. 

"How much longer will it take, then..." Itachi's lips curved upward, his eyes holding a hint of mockery. His red-glowing Rinnegan reflected Indra, or rather, Sasuke's stunned expression. 

"You hold him off, I'll go stop them." Compared to the somewhat broken Indra, Asura was much calmer. Itachi looked at Asura, who had already gone far, and frowned slightly. Naruto's personality had drastically changed; by all accounts, Asura's will should have sunken into oblivion, so how had it awakened? But it seemed there was no time to think about that now. 

Itachi's left eye glowed intensely red. His Rinnegan constricted. A moment later... Sasuke's body fell downwards. Itachi didn't bother with him; it would be ridiculous if someone half-Six Paths level died from a fall. 

A flash of silver light, and Itachi's figure appeared in front of Asura. 

"How is this possible..." Asura looked at Itachi, who had appeared before him, with a look of disbelief. Especially in his senses, Indra's body was continuously falling. The key was... he couldn't sense Indra's will anymore... it seemed... it had been directly erased... What kind of god-tier jutsu was this? 

"Nothing is impossible..." Itachi's left eye returned to its normal state, though it was considerably dimmer than his right eye. What he had just used was a Rinnegan dōjutsu... And his dōjutsu wasn't complicated... Indra's not-so-strong will was directly pulled into the Tsukuyomi space, and then the entire space was filled with an enhanced version of Amaterasu that could burn souls and wills... Indra lasted a few seconds before being dealt with by the enhanced black flames... And a few seconds in that space translated to mere hundredths of a second in the outside world... The key was that his dōjutsu was no longer confined to the body. He could directly pull out and destroy souls... No longer was it just mental pollution and physical torture... 

"This is a genjutsu... This isn't real..." Itachi looked strangely at Asura. But without hesitation, he plunged his right hand towards the other's face. However, Naruto's body remained completely unaffected... not taking any damage at all. Itachi's hand was enveloped in a ball of black flames... 

"Ah!" Asura cried out in pain. A golden ball of light was directly snatched out by Itachi... And as Itachi's hand left Naruto's physical body, the black flames in his hand intensified... In a few seconds, the golden ball of light was burned to ashes. Golden dust scattered in the wind, like a shower of golden raindrops... 

"This right eye's ability isn't bad either..." Itachi mused calmly, watching Naruto fall downwards, now without a controller... He left behind a solitary, proud figure... Identical to the figure Itachi had seen in his mind... He had obtained all the abilities of Amaterasu Ōmikami... And by combining the inheritances of Itachi and Shisui, he had become the complete reincarnation of Amaterasu Ōmikami... To end this chaotic era, the crow symbolizes... not just Itachi and Shisui... but also Amaterasu-Ōkami! 

Behind Itachi, two transparent figures, with smiles on their faces, were rapidly dissipating... along with that insubstantial golden powder. 

Chapter 245: The Grand Finale 

A few minutes later, Toneri let out an unwilling wail… His hair rapidly lengthened, and his figure swiftly transformed… Soon… Ōtsutsuki Kaguya descended upon the shinobi world… 

A sigh echoed from the Pure Land… From this point on, he could do nothing more… He hadn't expected his plan to be utterly ruined by Itachi, an outsider. Ōtsutsuki Kaguya's gradually bewildered eyes slowly cleared. Her aura trembled, and the ground was once again carved down significantly… It was as if everything was her enemy, taking her anger out on the earth whenever she pleased. 

"Mother! I've finally revived you…" Black Zetsu rushed towards Kaguya, transforming into a shadow. He looked at the three Six Paths level figures floating in mid-air before him, feeling a chill down his spine. Having witnessed these three in battle, he didn't believe his mother stood a chance… So, Black Zetsu quickly communicated with his mother telepathically… 

"You have freed me, what do you seek?" Kaguya's three Tenseigan eyes gazed at the three figures in front of her. Especially the one quietly flying at the very back, who gave her a fatal sense of crisis. Terribly strong… Even with her power, god-like as she was, in front of that person, she felt like a mere mortal looking up at a true god. 

"We need a star chart, a star chart to the Ōtsutsuki clan's home planet." Hashirama instinctively looked at Madara, and Madara looked at Itachi. Itachi had no choice but to step forward and speak to Kaguya. 

"What?" Hearing Itachi's words, Kaguya was stunned. She hadn't expected them to harbor such ambition. She fell silent for a moment. After a short pause… and under Black Zetsu's constant urging, Kaguya nodded. She gazed affectionately at the land, at the distant scenery. A hint of sorrow lingered in her eyes… She had been sealed by her own son for thousands of years, living alone all that time… With her hand as a brush, she drew in mid-air. Soon, a star chart appeared in their minds. 

"You should come with us too." Seeing Kaguya about to turn and leave, Itachi, thinking there's strength in numbers, spoke. 

"How dare you!" Hearing Itachi's commanding tone, Ōtsutsuki Kaguya instantly bristled… After so many years, someone dared to speak to her like that. He must have a death wish… 

"Oh?" Just as she turned, a figure appeared in her sight. A finger, stained with black flames, was less than a centimeter from her forehead. 

"You're quite something, aren't you? Very queenly. Be my maid." Itachi smiled, his words brooking no argument. After paying such a huge price to revive this legendary woman, and she refused to join them in battle, even putting on airs, Itachi simply couldn't tolerate it… 

Kaguya's gaze was somewhat hollow… That repulsion field she had just used was punctured by the opponent as easily as popping a bubble… And that finger, glowing with black flames, made her very soul tremble. She felt the immense killing intent between life and death. 

"Your humble servant greets you…" After several seconds of staring and silence, Kaguya placed her hands at her waist, bowing slightly… She chickened out… This was a man who could directly kill her… not just seal her. She didn't understand why this man could be so strong at the Six Paths level. It was simply incomprehensible. 

"Good girl." Itachi withdrew his finger and the black flames. He lightly hooked Ōtsutsuki Kaguya's chin, smiling faintly. Ōtsutsuki Kaguya was instantly enraged by his casual attitude, on the verge of erupting… But then she saw the coldness in Itachi's eyes, despite their smile, like an abyss ten thousand fathoms deep… She immediately froze, unable to move… This was absolute suppression… A dimension-crushing strike… 

A few days later, Madara and Hashirama departed… heading for the distant Ōtsutsuki planet, to see the world. Itachi didn't leave yet, as Sasuke and Naruto hadn't woken up. At the same time, he was manipulating his Rinnegan, preparing to revive his loved ones. He found it easier than he had imagined. He only needed to expend a bit of life force and chakra. His previous ideas of using the Tsukuyomi space to train White Zetsus, implanting Rinnegan in them, and having them perform the Outer Path — Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique quickly faded. At the same time, he felt a deep fear of the power of this universe. There was no detailed information in his inheritance. And Amaterasu Ōmikami was a very powerful deity, extremely powerful. And Shisui and Itachi were both reincarnations of Amaterasu Ōmikami. However, the reincarnations of Amaterasu Ōmikami often had bad luck and died young. Half of their power could only serve as assistance to bring order to chaotic times. Itachi, on the other hand, somehow acquired two inheritances. And one of them, when he faced a crisis, the original entity took the hit for him, completely dissipating and merging with him. And the combined inheritance directly pushed him into a new realm… He didn't even know if this realm was still considered Six Paths level anymore… He only knew… he was very strong… extremely strong… So strong that he could instantly kill even Kaguya… 

"Your humble servant has washed some grapes…" Just as Itachi was contemplating life, Kaguya, dressed as a maid, knelt gracefully beside Itachi, boneless and soft-handed, picking up a grape and feeding it into Itachi's mouth. Then, she used her hands to massage Itachi's legs. The soft, rounded curves made Itachi feel a bit dizzy… 

A few days later… one by one, people were revived by Itachi… such as a still-childhood Izumi… Kushina, who ran straight to Naruto upon revival. Minato Namikaze looked at Itachi with a gentle smile and gratitude. Itachi's parents had already been revived by Itachi days ago and had started their "small account" (new life, implying having more children)… 

After enjoying a few days of warmth, Naruto and Sasuke woke up. Itachi then set off for the Ōtsutsuki galaxy. After finding Madara and Hashirama, who were happily blending in and gaining experience, forgetting to return, Itachi prepared to lead them in thorough study here. The moment he arrived on this planet, he felt a powerful aura. There were also several slightly weaker auras. He didn't act rashly. After all, letting even one escape would be a disaster… 

Years later… The Ōtsutsuki Planet… 

"Caw, caw, caw…" Crows enveloped in black flames filled the sky… The sky had turned blood-red at some point. 

A few days later… Itachi returned to the shinobi world with a limping Hashirama and Madara… They began a new life of leisurely retirement… Waiting for the escapee to arrive, and for the hidden, restless Isshiki… Hashirama and Mito started a "small account" (new child)… Madara, seeing this, remembered the unique bloodline of the Uchiha clan. So, he went into the mortal world to find his own love… 

Years later, Itachi sat on a high platform. Two new couples were united in marriage… Sasuke and Itachi both entered the "tomb of marriage" simultaneously~ In the crowd, Sakura glared, grinding her teeth, at the woman with a red headscarf beside Sasuke. She looked with a hint of envy at the woman beside Naruto. 

"Uncle Itachi, I want to learn throwing weapons…" 

"Uncle, uncle, I want to learn too…" 

"I said it first…" 

"No, I said it first!" Two children shook Itachi's arms, one on each side. Behind him, the elegantly dressed Kaguya was tirelessly massaging Itachi's head. Not far away, several people watched the two children with benevolent smiles. 

End