Black Zetsu absolutely does not trust Akihara Kagura.
Black Zetsu has never trusted Kagura and only relies on him out of necessity, knowing that Akihara Kagura intends to use Kaguya to deal with the possibly still existing Sage of Six Paths.
Naturally.
Akihara Kagura also cannot appear too trusting of Black Zetsu.
Being overly trusting of Black Zetsu would make Black Zetsu suspicious. Conveniently, Uchiha Obito's Kamui dimension is a safe place, and Akihara Kagura wants to secure it to ensure his own safety after Kaguya's revival.
Black Zetsu...
Definitely believes it.
Black Zetsu inwardly curses Akihara Kagura's stupidity.
Reviving Kaguya requires the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki as a sacrifice. This fool Akihara Kagura thinks that merely using the Ten-Tails and a large amount of chakra can revive Kaguya!
Once Akihara Kagura chooses to become the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki, he is destined to be a sacrifice. Hiding anywhere won't save him then!
"The Fourth Hokage of Konoha!"
Uchiha Madara, disregarding Uchiha Obito's life, coldly commanded, "Quickly bring Obito's Rinnegan to me. I need to gather the Rinnegan for battle!"
"..."
While Minato hesitated.
Tobirama instantly appeared beside Minato, directly reaching out to grab Uchiha Obito's corpse and plucking out Obito's eye!
"!!!"
Uchiha Madara's eyelid twitches!
Madara didn't expect that bastard Tobirama would act first, and moreover, grab his eye. Would this bastard even give it to him?
Honestly...
Given their enmity...
Uchiha Madara still harbored a grudge against Tobirama and even wanted to kill him!
"Your eye."
Tobirama tossed Uchiha Madara's eye to him with a look of disdain.
At this moment, Uchiha Madara's combat power is crucial, and Tobirama wouldn't let minor grievances hinder the greater goal. He knew Akihara Kagura was the real threat!
"Hmph!"
Uchiha Madara snorted coldly, unhappily catching the eye and inserting it back into his socket, restoring his vision.
"As for Uchiha Obito..."
Tobirama looked at Obito, quickly clasping his hands together: "I have a technique that can bind Uchiha Obito's soul within his body. As long as his soul can't enter the afterlife, Akihara Kagura can't reincarnate him..."
"..."
Minato was momentarily speechless.
The Second Hokage's methods...
Are a bit too cruel, aren't they?
"I can undo that forbidden technique..."
Akihara Kagura shrugged, looking at Tobirama: "Second Hokage, I've already figured out the methods to counter all your forbidden techniques..."
"Forget about Obito."
Uchiha Madara coldly interrupted Tobirama's meddling, saying, "You two take the Eight-Tails and Nine-Tails Jinchūriki off this island first..."
The most important thing now is to ensure the safety of the Eight-Tails and Nine-Tails Jinchūriki. They must not come to any harm!
Conveniently...
Minato and Tobirama, having been fully resurrected and freed from Edo Tensei, should take the Jinchūriki away, leaving the battlefield to Madara and Hashirama to deal with Akihara Kagura!
"Wait..."
The Eight-Tails Jinchūriki, Killer B, quickly spoke: "Don't leave yet! Naruto is still here! We need to monitor him! Don't let the Nine-Tails go out of control!"
"Naruto is undergoing the trial to obtain the Nine-Tails' chakra..."
Yamato quickly explained: "Fearing that Akihara Kagura might capture him, Hokage-sama... Lady Tsunade wanted him to gain the power to protect himself, so we brought him to the Cloud Village's trial grounds to attempt the trial of acquiring the Nine-Tails' chakra!"
"We dared not enter to confront Akihara Kagura, and Naruto was confident he could handle the Nine-Tails. We're just outside, preventing Kagura from interfering, but inside, there could be loss of control..."
"I understand!"
Minato rushed into the waterfall!
However, upon entering the trial grounds, he too felt a violent impulse within him. Frowning, Minato sensed the extraordinary nature of the place and had to sit cross-legged to stabilize himself!
Only...
As Minato sat down...
His consciousness entered a trial space where he saw a familiar red-haired figure with a blonde boy battling the Nine-Tails, which exuded an evil aura...
Clearly.
Uzumaki Naruto was at a critical stage of his trial!
After entering the trial grounds, Naruto immediately sat cross-legged to unlock the Nine-Tails' seal. His mother, Kushina's chakra appeared at this moment...
This was Naruto's first meeting with his mother!
Back during the Nine-Tails incident, in order for his son, Naruto, to meet his parents, Minato, who was responsible for sealing the Nine-Tails within Naruto, also sealed a part of his and Kushina's chakra…
Later on…
Minato was revived using the Edo Tensei and was tasked with guiding Naruto in his training, during which he also took the opportunity to reconfigure the seal within Naruto…
At that time…
For safety, Minato did not dare to fully release the seal; he merely adjusted the seal space to make it easier for Naruto to use the Nine-Tails' chakra…
Now…
The seal is completely undone!
Kushina's chakra is aiding Naruto in attacking the Nine-Tails, dispelling the negative energy within it!
However, at this critical moment, his father Minato intruded, bringing with him half of the fearsome Nine-Tails' chakra into this spiritual space!
"Why is Dad here…"
Naruto, who had not yet defeated his Nine-Tails, saw his father Minato rush in, followed by a surge of red chakra behind him!
This was a fortuitous mistake.
Because half of the Nine-Tails was also sealed within Minato!
When Naruto was very young, to ensure the Nine-Tails did not go out of control, Minato used the power of the Reaper to split the Nine-Tails into two halves, sealing one half within Naruto and the other half within himself as a sacrifice to summon the Reaper!
Now…
Minato has fully revived with half of the Nine-Tails, coincidentally appearing in the sealing space, where the same origin of chakra immediately caused them to merge into the same spiritual space…
However…
Minato had no time to pay attention to the negative chakra of the Nine-Tails.
"Kushina's… chakra…"
Minato did not even look at his son; his first gaze was drawn to that head of red hair. Known as the fastest man in the ninja world, he was momentarily slowed down.
That head of red hair…
Ran through his entire life!
Minato remembered the moment his heart was moved upon first seeing that red hair; they met and knew each other from the Ninja Academy, gradually became ninjas who understood and trusted each other, leading to marriage. Whether becoming Hokage or ultimately sacrificing for Konoha, that red hair was always by his side!
"Eh? Minato!"
Kushina saw Minato's arrival and broke into a big smile: "I have one good news and one bad news, which do you want to hear first?"
"The good news…"
Minato chuckled lightly.
"The good news is that our family is finally reunited!"
Kushina beamed with joy, her eyes squinting with happiness. Her chakra seemed to become more lively upon seeing her husband and son!
"What about the bad news?"
Minato slowly walked towards her.
"The bad news…"
Naruto looked behind Minato at the red chakra, his expression suddenly becoming serious: "The negative energy from the half of the Nine-Tails within you has also surged over! Our family has to deal with two Nine-Tails here now!"
Before he finished speaking.
In the strange space of this trial ground.
The red chakra behind Minato quickly flew over, revealing a massive Nine-Tails, slightly darker in color; the Nine-Tails beside Naruto and Kushina was noticeably brighter.
One Yin Nine-Tails… one Yang Nine-Tails!
The two massive Nine-Tails simultaneously roared at the family of three, speaking in unison, as they were originally one entity!
"It's been seventeen years…"
"Kushina, Minato, Naruto…"
"Your family is all here, and today, I will kill you all here!"
"..."
A trace of unease appeared in Naruto's eyes; even one Nine-Tails was troublesome, and it was his mother Kushina who was helping to restrain it!
Now…
There are two!
How can he deal with two Nine-Tails in spiritual space?
"Don't worry."
Kushina seemed to sense her child's unease, ruffled his hair, and comforted him with a smile: "Just stay behind Mom and Dad, and we'll help you take care of them!"
The next moment!
The two Nine-Tails charged towards them simultaneously!
"Nine-Tails!"
Kushina spread her arms, and countless adamantine chains flew out. Her gaze was resolute and firm: "Now is not the time for you to act rampant!"
Chains bound the legs of both Nine-Tails, slamming them back to the ground. Minato calmly instructed his son!
"Naruto, you take the right, I'll take the left!"
"Got it!"
In the next moment!
Two yellow-haired figures dashed left and right!
Minato rushed towards the Yin Kurama, his face showing the markings of Sage Mode, and he commanded his son in a deep voice.
"Naruto, go directly into Sage Mode!"
"Sage Mode, activate!"
Naruto quickly clasped his hands together.
"Sage Art: Super Big Ball Rasengan Barrage!"
The father and son, both in Sage Mode, simultaneously leaped towards the fallen two halves of Kurama, their dense Rasengans smashing into the two beasts.
In the next moment, the two halves of Kurama transformed into chakra!
The chakra of the two Kuramas simultaneously entered Minato and Naruto, allowing both of them to master the Kurama Mode at the same time.
Of course...
These two Kuramas were just fragments of Yin Kurama and Yang Kurama's chakra!
As Minato and Naruto absorbed the chakra, sealing gates appeared behind them, each sealing a gigantic Kurama.
"Kurama..."
Kushina's eyes showed a mischievous glint, reminiscent of when Kurama was sealed within her many years ago. "This time, they will be spending time with you!"
"Kushina..."
The two Kuramas gritted their teeth in unison.
"We might never see each other again..."
Kushina's chakra waved goodbye to each Kurama like a little girl, laughing as she said, "You two big guys need to get along well with Minato and Naruto!"
"You..."
The two Kuramas looked angrily at Kushina!
This woman...
She was clearly provoking them!
"Kushina..."
Minato looked at Kushina's chakra, his eyes suddenly dimming. He knew what was happening with her chakra...
"Hey, by the way..."
Kushina's chakra suddenly seemed to remember something, and she said in surprise, "Minato, why are you here too? What happened to the chakra you left in the seal?"
"Because..."
Minato did not speak, sighing inwardly.
Because this matters...
It was too long a story...
Minato had to start from seventeen years ago, talking about the conspiracy of the Nine-Tails' attack, about how Uchiha Obito, who had died during the attack, was the cause, how Uchiha Obito was controlled by Uchiha Madara, and how Uchiha Madara was manipulated by Black Zetsu...
"It was all their doing..."
Kushina pouted in dissatisfaction, muttering, "We finally achieved peace, and they had to cause so much trouble..."
"So..."
Minato nodded gravely, explaining more about the story of Akihara Kagura: "These masterminds who once manipulated others have now been used themselves. The greatest threat to the ninja world now is a man named Akihara Kagura, who has manipulated all these schemers, and even once controlled me..."
"..."
Kushina was left with her mouth wide open.
The ninja world was so vast...
Akihara Kagura's story was truly rare.
Even hearing it for the first time, the layered schemes of Black Zetsu, Uchiha Madara, and Uchiha Obito were strange enough, yet they ultimately became stepping stones for Akihara Kagura, turning into his pawns.
Whether it was the Five Great Nations standing for the majority of the ninja world, or Uchiha Madara, the small group of schemers, they all became tools for Akihara Kagura to achieve his evil goals.
"I must stop Kagura."
For the first time, Naruto heard the full story of Akihara Kagura from his father, his eyes still firm and unyielding. "I will bring him back to Konoha!"
"Sorry..."
Naruto glanced at his father, then at his mother. "Because I never met you two while growing up, Kagura was like an older brother to me..."
"But, Akihara Kagura never belonged to Konoha…"
Minato looked at his son, hoping he would understand the difficulty of the situation. "Akihara Kagura's will is unbreakable. The Second Hokage once said that no one could change his mind. He will use any means to achieve his goals..."
"Naruto, if you truly want him to return to Konoha and continue being a Konoha ninja, this task will be a thousand, even ten thousand times harder than becoming Hokage..."
This task...
It is much harder than becoming Hokage!
After all, Konoha has only had five Hokages, and each one has fallen into the hands of Akihara Kagura. Even Tsunade once became a tool for Akihara Kagura to control the ninja world.
"Go ahead and do it."
Kushina patted Naruto's head, smiling as she encouraged him. "A grown man always needs to do things others can't!"
After speaking, Kushina's chakra slowly dimmed. She continued to smile, not wanting to make her husband and son sad. "Alright, go stop the destruction of the ninja world. I need to take a long rest!"
"Kushina..."
Minato's heart ached.
"Mom..."
Naruto's heart ached too.
"Alright..."
Kushina extended her arms and hugged her two loved ones. Tears finally flowed uncontrollably from her eyes. "Our family can't stay here forever. Those people are still fighting outside!"
"Naruto..."
"You have grown up..."
"Go and do what you believe is right..."
"Minato..."
"Since you have been revived..."
"You must live well. You have to see Naruto get married, see Naruto have his own children. I want to see so much through your eyes..."
"..."
Naruto slowly nodded, tears streaming down his face.
"..."
Minato furrowed his brows tightly but said nothing.
"So... goodbye!"
Kushina's chakra gave her husband and son one last gentle hug. She patted their shoulders, a contented smile on her lips, and then slowly dissipated in the spiritual space...
"..."
Naruto wiped his reddened eyes, his tears seemingly unending.
"Let's go."
Minato clenched his fists and said softly, "Naruto, there are more important things to do now. Don't disappoint your mother!"
Outside the waterfall.
Two figures blocked the entrance to the cave.
Uchiha Madara and Hashirama stood together, preventing Akihara Kagura from approaching.
Hashirama occasionally touched his arm, glancing at Akihara Kagura across from them, and cautiously said, "Even though I've been revived and my chakra is at its peak, this guy still feels stronger than me..."
"Hmph, that's normal..."
Uchiha Madara snorted disdainfully, "That brat only managed to awaken the Sage's body by luck using your cells. He can't possibly be a match for the two of us. If we lose, you must hold him back at all costs..."
"Huh? What about you?"
Hashirama looked at Madara in surprise.
"I can only take a gamble..."
Madara's voice grew heavy as he thought about what he was about to do. Since the history on the Uchiha stone tablet had been altered, and the bark of the Senju clan warned about the dangers of becoming the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki, he might be risking his life!
"A gamble?"
Hashirama fumbled in his pocket, as if searching for something. He surprisingly found something!
"Isn't this a bit inappropriate right now?"
Hashirama inexplicably pulled out two dice and handed them to Madara. "Madara, if you need to gamble, I'll lend you my luck..."
"..."
A vein popped on Madara's forehead as he restrained the urge to scold. "Your luck... can anyone have worse luck than you?"
"Perhaps…"
Hashirama tossed two dice to Uchiha Madara, a confident smile appearing on his face. "I lost my whole life before dying. Is this the only time I will win by luck?"
"..."
Uchiha Madara reached out to catch the dice, putting them into his clothes. A faint smile crossed his face. "Hmph, I'll believe you this time."
"However..."
"We might not lose!"
Uchiha Madara raised his finger, coldly staring at Akihara Kagura, his voice becoming serious. "Get ready!"
"I understand!"
Hashirama clenched his fist, a substantial amount of chakra suddenly rising from his body. "I'll go first, Madara!"
In the next moment, Hashirama charged towards Akihara Kagura! Uchiha Madara followed closely behind!
In the Warring States period, these two were unparalleled when they joined forces once, creating the first ninja village, Konoha...
After many years...
Uchiha Madara and Hashirama finally joined forces again!
This time...
They are challenging the strongest man of this era!
Akihara Kagura had not been watching them. Seemingly resting with his eyes closed before the battle, he suddenly opened his eyes as he sensed the two terrifying chakras quickly approaching his attack range!
In the next moment, Akihara Kagura confronted them directly! A wave of water arose on the surface of the waterfall lake! The three clashed in an instant, their chakras converging, creating a huge splash that soared into the sky!
Hashirama charged directly at Akihara Kagura!
Uchiha Madara leapt into the air, aiming a hand at Akihara Kagura's head like a deadly assassin, attacking from above and below together!
Akihara Kagura moved swiftly and sharply, grabbing Hashirama's wrist with his left hand and seizing his shoulder with his right, using the momentum to leap and kick Uchiha Madara, sending him flying!
"This guy..."
Hashirama tried to pull Akihara Kagura down!
However, Akihara Kagura flipped to the other side, still holding Hashirama's wrist, and threw him onto the water surface like in a wrestling move!
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
In the instant Uchiha Madara was sent flying, he quickly formed hand signs, spitting a huge flame towards Akihara Kagura!
This fireball was so large...
It looked like a falling meteor from the sky! Even though it was the simplest Great Fireball Jutsu, in Uchiha Madara's hands, it far exceeded the power of some renowned S-rank techniques!
"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
Akihara Kagura slashed his hand across the water surface, raising a surge of water like a wall, instantly engulfing the fireball!
In the next moment!
A tall blue Susanoo came flying over!
A giant blue samurai sword cut through the water wall! Uchiha Madara directly used Susanoo, knowing that the outcome of this battle would not be determined by mere taijutsu, and started pressing Akihara Kagura to use chakra-consuming techniques!
"Hashirama!"
Uchiha Madara shouted in a deep voice, controlling Susanoo to lift Hashirama, placing him inside Susanoo's crystal, speaking coldly: "Prepare yourself, he's going to use his Susanoo! Activate your Wood Release immediately!"
"I understand..."
Hashirama nodded, clasping his hands together. "Wood Release: Wood Human Technique! Wood Release: Wood Dragon Technique!"
A towering wooden figure combined with the colossal Susanoo! The giant Susanoo transformed into armor, covering the wooden figure, even changing its appearance. The wooden dragon on the wooden figure also wore Susanoo's armor!
The massive blue armored wooden figure, holding a giant blue samurai sword, charged straight towards Akihara Kagura!
"Going straight to this level?"
Akihara Kagura clasped his hands together, moonlight shining on the lake, and a white armored wooden figure suddenly appeared under him!
"Be careful..."
Hashirama and Uchiha Madara stood inside the crystal on the blue armored wooden figure's forehead, recalling their past lessons. "That kid's Wood Human Technique can use space-time techniques for instant movement. We must be cautious..."
Before the words fell, the white armored wooden figure flashed and disappeared from its original position!
The hundred-meter-tall white giant, holding a white-glowing samurai sword, instantly appeared in front of the blue armored wooden figure, like a deadly assassin, stabbing the opponent's chest with the dozens-of-meters-long white sword!
~~~
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— Ending + Extra Chapters (Completed)
Read upto Chapter 348: End! + Extra Chapters of Sasuke's Rebirth where the world Akihara Kagura is not around. Thank you!