"This guy... so his real target is the Divine Tree!"
Uchiha Madara, while absorbing the Divine Tree, noticed that Shūichi was also devouring its roots.
"Does he know something I don't?"
"He had the chance to take control of the Ten-Tails before!"
"Could it be that the Divine Tree and the Ten-Tails aren't the same?"
At that moment, Shūichi had already consumed the root of the Divine Tree. As his eyes opened and closed, a transformation occurred.
His Mangekyō Sharingan evolved into golden Rinnegan, complete with three tomoe in each eye.
Three-Tomoe Golden Rinnegan, Activated!
---
"What's going on?"
"The Divine Tree has disappeared!"
From afar, Senju Hashirama and others couldn't see Madara absorbing the Divine Tree, but Uchiha Obito, Kakashi, and Guy, closer to the battlefield, saw everything clearly.
Kakashi remarked, "Madara reclaimed the Divine Tree, but something feels ominous."
Obito furrowed his brow and said, "Kakashi, take Guy and retreat now!"
After a moment of hesitation, Kakashi nodded and vanished with Guy in tow.
Obito moved swiftly to Shūichi's side. Dispelling his Susano'o, he noticed the change in Shūichi's eyes.
"This is..."
"Rinnegan!"
Obito was utterly shocked.
Having awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan was already astounding enough, but now Shūichi had awakened the Rinnegan?
Even as a member of the Uchiha clan, Obito had never come close to attaining such power!
The Divine Tree...
Obito realized that Shūichi had consumed part of the Divine Tree, along with Madara's lower half and even Nagato's lower body after becoming the Ten-Tails' Jinchūriki.
Still, he couldn't understand why Shūichi could awaken the Rinnegan—especially one with tomoe.
Madara's Rinnegan had never changed after he became the Ten-Tails' Jinchūriki.
Shūichi didn't bother explaining. He simply looked up at Madara, who was on the verge of fully absorbing the Divine Tree.
"Obito, get ready. The Infinite Tsukuyomi is about to begin!"
Obito's expression changed.
Meanwhile, Shūichi's clones began appearing and merging back into his main body.
These clones had been gathering White Zetsu cells on the battlefield. Simultaneously, the clones stationed in Konoha also dissolved.
But as the clones returned, new ones were created from Shūichi's body and dispersed once more.
---
Konoha Headquarters
Shūichi appeared with Tsunade and Tenka.
"Third Hokage, the Infinite Tsukuyomi is about to activate. With my current strength, I can only protect a portion of our people."
"Everyone must gather and remain still," he instructed.
As he spoke, Shūichi raised a hand, and the enormous dome above the headquarters opened.
By now, it was dusk. The sun had set, and the moon hung high in the sky.
A shocked Hiruzen Sarutobi looked up to see the moon gradually turning blood-red.
He asked solemnly, "Shūichi, can't you stop Madara from using the Infinite Tsukuyomi?"
Shūichi lowered his gaze and replied, "I can."
"But I've sensed an even greater force at play."
"The so-called Eye of the Moon Plan isn't what Madara thinks it is."
"Long ago, the Sage of Six Paths sealed the Ten-Tails within the moon. There must be secrets we don't yet know. And now, those secrets are about to be revealed."
"I want to resolve this once and for all, rather than leaving it for future generations."
Then, Shūichi smiled. "Don't worry, Third Hokage. Even if the Infinite Tsukuyomi activates, I can break it!"
"This is..."
Hiruzen was stunned as he saw Shūichi's eyes.
"You've also awakened the Rinnegan!"
Tsunade, Shikaku Nara, Inoichi Yamanaka, Ao, and others were equally astonished.
"Didn't you say it required the power of both Senju and Uchiha...?" Tsunade asked, puzzled.
Shūichi explained, "Everything originates from the Divine Tree—or rather, the Ten-Tails."
At that moment, a visibly pregnant Chihiro arrived, escorted by Biwako Sarutobi.
"It's starting!"
Shūichi looked up to see nine tomoe appearing on the surface of the moon.
Susano'o!
A massive golden Perfect Susano'o emerged, spreading its wings wide.
"Everyone, gather close!"
Hiruzen and the others hurried to assemble.
---
Simultaneously, on the battlefield, Shūichi's clones shielded various key figures, including medical ninja like Nono Yakushi, Asuka, Shizune, and Rin Nohara.
On other battlefronts, Shūichi's clones deployed Susano'o to protect parts of the Allied Shinobi Forces, such as Mei Terumī, Rōshi, Minato Namikaze, Jiraiya, Kakashi, Obito, and Guy.
High in the sky, Uchiha Madara completed his hand seals.
Infinite Tsukuyomi!
A colossal projection of Kaguya Ōtsutsuki appeared, gazing down at most of the planet through the moon.
The next moment, the moon emitted a radiant light, illuminating the majority of the world.
All those bathed in the light, be they humans or animals, had their eyes turn into Rinnegan patterns. Their bodies became immobilized, though a sliver of consciousness remained.
In that instant, aside from those shielded by Shūichi's Susano'o, more than eighty thousand Allied Shinobi and countless others across nations succumbed to the Infinite Tsukuyomi.
---
On the main battlefield, Black Zetsu emerged from the ground, watching Shūichi's golden Susano'o with surprise.
"He's completely unaffected by the Infinite Tsukuyomi?"
"Those eyes... they surpass the Infinite Tsukuyomi itself!"
Black Zetsu had been observing Shūichi closely and had noticed his awakening of the Rinnegan.
"But all of this is trivial."
Black Zetsu grinned confidently.
"Once Mother is resurrected, she'll reclaim the nine Tailed Beasts and all the chakra!"
"She is the progenitor of all chakra, wielding supreme power!"
...
In Konoha, as the glowing light faded, Shūichi deactivated his Susano'o. Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others immediately leapt out of the base, only to see people standing frozen in place on the streets of Konoha.
Hiruzen approached one of them and noticed that their eyes had turned into the Rinnegan.
Entering a nearby house, he found the people inside were no exception.
The group then moved to the Hokage Rock and looked down over the entire village. Everyone—people and animals alike—was in the same state.
"This is the Infinite Tsukuyomi… Has the entire ninja world fallen into this?" Hiruzen asked, deeply shocked.
Shūichi glanced up at the moon, which had returned to normal, and said, "Anywhere touched by the light will be like this."
"But this isn't the end."
The group was startled again.
Nara Shikaku quickly asked, "Shūichi, what else is there?"
Shūichi explained, "The Infinite Tsukuyomi isn't just a technique to trap people in an eternal dream."
"On the battlefield earlier, Uchiha Madara used the Divine Tree to capture ninjas and absorb their chakra."
Everyone's expressions darkened at his words. Ao couldn't help but gulp nervously. "No way..."
At that moment, a loud rumbling sound filled the air. Massive tree trunks began emerging from the ground, spreading in all directions.
Before their eyes, vines descended from the branches, wrapping around those caught in the genjutsu, binding them, and suspending them in midair.
They looked like cocooned offerings.
"What is this?"
Hiruzen leapt to the side of an ANBU member ensnared by the vines and attempted to cut them down. However, even as he severed the vines, they quickly regrew, making it impossible to free the person.
Realizing the futility, Hiruzen returned to Shūichi's side. "Shūichi, if there's no way to save these people, will they all have their chakra drained by Madara?"
"I won't let him succeed," Shūichi replied firmly. "Besides, Madara himself might..."
He turned to Tsunade. "You stay here. I'll take the Third Hokage to the battlefield."
"Don't worry, the war will end soon."
With that, Shūichi and Hiruzen disappeared.
---
Meanwhile, on the Fourth Division battlefield, Shūichi appeared and took Jiraiya, who was in Sage Mode, away with him.
---
Main Battlefield
Senju Hashirama, Ōnoki, the Fourth Raikage, and Senju Tobirama, alongside many other Edo Tensei resurrected shinobi, paused in their efforts to rescue the trapped people and gathered around Shūichi Hoshita.
Moments later, Shūichi's clones arrived, bringing the Kage from the other battlefields.
As they all turned their gaze to Uchiha Madara descending from the sky, Shūichi remarked, "It seems the origins of the White Zetsu are now clear."
Senju Tobirama immediately realized something, his eyes shifting to the shinobi suspended in tree vines. "Could it be that these White Zetsu were originally people who fell victim to the Infinite Tsukuyomi?" he exclaimed in shock.
Namikaze Minato speculated, "Was it possible that the Ten-Tails in the past cast the Infinite Tsukuyomi, leading to its division by the Sage of Six Paths and eventual sealing?"
Shūichi replied, "We'll likely have someone confirm that for us soon enough."
At that moment, Uchiha Madara landed on the ground, his Nine Tomoe Rinne Sharingan spinning as he chuckled lightly. "So, it's just you insignificant pests left. No matter. Soon, you'll all join the dream world as well."
"A new world, free of evil chakra, will be born."
"All of this will end."
From behind Madara, Black Zetsu emerged. Madara paid it no mind; after all, Black Zetsu was his manifestation of will. Thanks to Black Zetsu's guidance, Madara had manipulated Nagato into resurrecting him, so he had never doubted its loyalty.
However, Senju Hashirama and the others were now visibly stunned.
Splat!
Madara's body froze. His three eyes widened in disbelief.
Black Zetsu had pierced Madara's heart from behind!
"Madara, you were wrong," Black Zetsu said coldly.
"You're not the savior, and this is far from over!"
Guy, confused, asked, "What's going on?"
"Aren't they on the same side?"
Uchiha Obito's pupils shrank in shock. "What… What's happening?"
"Could Black Zetsu be the mastermind Shūichi spoke of?"
"No, impossible!"
"Wasn't Black Zetsu created by Madara himself?"
Obito's mind was spinning; he had personally witnessed Black Zetsu's creation.
Ōnoki, the Fourth Raikage, and others, equally clueless, were left dumbfounded.
"Is this infighting?"
"If so, this could be the perfect opportunity for us!" the Second Tsuchikage suggested.
The Fourth Raikage snapped out of it, lightning crackling around him. "Exactly! Let's take advantage of this chaos to take them both down and rescue everyone else!"
Shūichi, however, remained calm. "No rush. Let's first uncover the truth behind this war."
Black Zetsu, still piercing Madara, turned to Shūichi. "You're full of surprises. It seems you've uncovered many secrets—secrets I've buried deep in history!"
Shūichi smiled faintly. "History is like a young girl, easy to dress up however you want. But traces always remain."
"And not everyone is as naive and idealistic as Uchiha Madara."
"The Eye of the Moon Plan inscribed on the Uchiha Clan's stone tablet is riddled with flaws. Anyone with even a semblance of rationality wouldn't believe it entirely."
Black Zetsu laughed. "But the Uchiha Clan did believe it!"
"This plan is the culmination of my millennium-long efforts, yet you dismiss it so easily."
Everyone was stunned. Nagato couldn't help but exclaim, "A thousand years? Who are you, really?"
Obito shouted, "Black Zetsu! I saw Madara create you with my own eyes!"
Black Zetsu chuckled. "That was all part of my plan."
"Madara was deceived. He thought he created me, but it was I who guided him down the path of the Eye of the Moon Plan."
Uchiha Fugaku demanded, "So you altered the contents of the Uchiha Clan's stone tablet?"
Black Zetsu nodded. "Of course. That was my masterpiece."
"When I saw Madara's defeat at the Valley of the End, I thought I'd have to wait even longer. But unexpectedly, he survived by faking his death, gained Asura's reincarnated power, and awakened the Rinnegan."
"Heh, after orchestrating the Senju and Uchiha conflict for a thousand years, I finally nurtured the perfect seed!"
Madara's eyes slowly rotated, but his body was paralyzed and incapable of resisting.
Black Zetsu sneered, "Don't bother struggling, Madara. Nothing you thought was yours truly belongs to you."
"Whether it's the Ten-Tails, the tailed beasts, or even the chakra of all you people, it all belongs to the progenitor of chakra—my mother!"
Namikaze Minato and the others were utterly shocked.
At the same time, chakra began to flow out of the cocooned shinobi suspended around the Divine Tree.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes narrowed. "Just as Shūichi said, the Divine Tree is absorbing chakra."
"If this continues, we're in serious trouble."
Cold sweat dripped from Hiruzen's brow.
Hashirama and the others also noticed. Tobirama shouted, "Shūichi, can you stop the Divine Tree from draining everyone's chakra?"
Before Shūichi could respond, Black Zetsu bellowed, "Don't waste your efforts! Just wait for the progenitor of chakra to descend!"
As it finished speaking, the ground trembled and cracked open. A surge of immense chakra burst forth from the earth.
"Be careful!" Hashirama shouted as the shinobi scattered.
Madara screamed in agony as his body, now under Black Zetsu's control, began to swell from the overwhelming chakra pouring into it.
From where he landed, Minato muttered uneasily, "Shūichi was right all along. Even Madara was just a pawn."
"With all this chakra being gathered, this power might even surpass Shūichi!"
Nearby, Kakashi urgently asked, "Did Shūichi mention how to handle this?"
Minato glanced at Shūichi, hovering in the sky. "All we can do now is trust him!"
On another front, Jiraiya murmured, "Could Shūichi be the Child of Prophecy I've been searching for?"
"If it weren't for him, no one might be able to escape this calamity."
Shima, the elder sage, added, "Then we can only hope he is indeed the Child of Prophecy."
Fukasaku's expression darkened. "But the Great Toad Sage never dreamed of this child."
"We originally wanted him to meet the Great Sage, but he seemed to avoid it deliberately."
Shima puffed up in frustration. "Maybe the Great Sage has already dreamed of him during the time we've been away!"
---
On the other side, witnessing Uchiha Madara's body swelling and gradually being engulfed by black matter, Ōnoki couldn't help but tremble. "Things are getting worse. His chakra is even more terrifying than before."
The Second Tsuchikage spoke gravely, "Ōnoki, take the survivors and flee. We, who are already dead, can only buy you some time."
The Third Raikage added, "A, retreat. This guy's power has surpassed that of the previous Ten-Tails Jinchūriki. Even that boy named Shūichi is no match for him now."
The Fifth Mizukage, Mei Terumi, was also gripped by fear. The chakra flowing into the Divine Tree was overwhelmingly terrifying, and Black Zetsu's earlier words suggested an even more dreadful enemy was about to appear.
"Can Shūichi really defeat such a horrifying existence?"
Mei looked up at her man floating in the sky, then clenched her teeth and declared, "No, he definitely can!"
"Shūichi will triumph, no matter what!"
At this moment, the Fourth Raikage shouted, "The entire ninja world is already under the Infinite Tsukuyomi. What's the point of running now?"
"The only way to survive is to take down the enemy right in front of us."
Zzzap!
Lightning surged as the Fourth Raikage's feet shattered the ground. His body shot forward like a thunderbolt. "Now's the time to end this once and for all!"
The Fourth Kazekage yelled after him, "Hey, that's too reckless!"
But no sooner had he spoken than the Fourth Raikage was entangled by white hair.
Seeing this, the Third Raikage roared, "Everyone, attack together!"
The other Edo Tensei Kage all nodded and charged into battle, except for Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama, who stayed still.
Tobirama frowned. "These fools have no faith in Shūichi. To act so recklessly without understanding the situation…"
"But this might not be a bad thing. Let them test the enemy's strength for us."
This was also why Tobirama hadn't taken control of the other resurrected shinobi.
However, it quickly became evident that their attacks were either ineffective or blocked entirely. One by one, they were ensnared by the same white hair.
Meanwhile, Madara's body continued to swell. Eventually, the swollen form became entirely covered in black matter, except for the white hair. Then, in an instant, the bloated body began to shrink rapidly.
As his body shrank, Madara transformed into someone else entirely. The black substance receded from his skin, revealing the distinct pale complexion unique to the Ōtsutsuki Clan.
On this person's forehead, the skin split open, and a blood-red Rinne Sharingan with nine tomoe opened ominously.
Watching this unfold, Shūichi couldn't help but feel a strange sense of relief, as if a heavy burden had been lifted.
"Lady Kaguya, you're finally here!"
"The Progenitor of Chakra, Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, has arrived!"
(End of Chapter)
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