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"How can God's power be so small?" Takuya asked, his voice dripping with curiosity as he looked at Nagato kneeling in the pit.
"Asshole!" Nagato clenched his fists. He knew Takuya was mocking him, but he had no way to refute it. In their recent confrontation, he had been completely defeated.
"If you don't have any last words, I'll send you on your way," Takuya said calmly, looking at the silent Nagato.
"Why... why do you have such strong power?" Nagato asked, puzzled. They both had the Rinnegan, so why was Takuya so much stronger? Even when he tried his best, he couldn't even shake Takuya.
"Because... we are not on the same level," Takuya replied calmly. It wasn't sarcasm. The current Nagato was a truly powerful Kage-level fighter, even stronger than in the original story, but compared to Takuya, it wasn't enough. Takuya had one foot in the Bloodline Limit Snare, making Nagato no match for him.
"D... I'm really unwilling," Nagato said, closing his eyes in frustration. He had believed his strength was enough to dominate the ninja world, but reality was cruel. Struggling to stand, he felt as if all his internal organs were shattered. If not for the White Zetsu cells, he might have been killed already.
"Takuya... do you think you've won? I haven't lost yet. A 'god' cannot lose!" Nagato murmured. He considered himself a god, chosen by fate, and refused to accept defeat.
"Yahiko, I will never give up after inheriting your will," Nagato gritted his teeth. Letting his body fall, he clasped his hands together. Chakra and eye power surged within him.
"Super Planetary Devastation!" Nagato shouted, forming a pitch-black sphere and hurling it into the sky. An immense gravitational force emanated from it, tearing the earth apart.
"Hahahahaha... you see, this is the power only a 'god' can possess. Takuya, sink into darkness!" Nagato laughed maniacally. He believed Takuya had allowed him to unleash such a powerful technique out of arrogance.
"Nagato, does possessing a Rinnegan make you so arrogant? Your measure is far from enough," Takuya shook his head. Some people become arrogant with great power, and Nagato was a typical example. Takuya had lost interest in him. This battle needed to end.
Under the intense gravity, Takuya stood motionless. "Sage Art: Big Rasengan!" he declared, hurling a dark ball of destructive energy into the sky. The Rasengan collided with the Planetary Devastation, triggering a massive explosion. A dazzling light spread over dozens of miles, and an invisible shockwave radiated in all directions.
People thousands of miles away felt an inexplicable sense of dread and looked to the sky, unaware of the battle taking place.
"I lost," Nagato said, lying on the ground with a lonely expression. His final attack was easily neutralized by Takuya, who seemed unaffected. Nagato felt the sting of complete defeat.
"Jiraiya-sensei, am I the kind of 'supporting character' written in your book?" Nagato thought, feeling inferior. It seemed it was time to end his life.
"Takuya, take care of Konan," Nagato said, pulling out a black rod. His belief was shattered, and he no longer wished to live. Even as a supporting character, he wanted to die with dignity. "Yahiko, I'm coming to find you," he thought, closing his eyes and preparing to thrust the rod into his heart.
But before he could, he found himself unable to move. "Nagato, don't be in such a hurry to die. Your body is still useful," a familiar voice said. Nagato's pupils shrank. It was Zetsu's voice.
"Zetsu?" Nagato asked, confused. He hadn't sensed Zetsu at all.
"Stop looking for me. I'm right here," the hoarse voice said again. Nagato looked at his body and saw a dark mass covering half of it.
"Zetsu, what do you want?" Nagato asked, panicked.
"Nagato, you were going to die anyway. Why not do me a favor first? It's the least you can do," Zetsu said calmly.
Nagato's heart sank. This mysterious being had ulterior motives. "Who are you?" he asked.
"A lonely soul wandering in the darkness," Zetsu replied. "Nagato, if you hadn't been desperate, you wouldn't even qualify to be my pawn. You're so foolish. And since you're about to die, I'll tell you: you were never the savior. These eyes were transplanted to you by Uchiha Madara. You're not a god, just a vessel for the Rinnegan."
Nagato was stunned. "Uchiha Madara?" he exclaimed. He was a figure from the same era as the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju. How was he connected to him? And a vessel for the Rinnegan? What did it all mean? Nagato's thoughts were in turmoil.
"Yes, Uchiha Madara. Let's end the small talk," Zetsu said. Nagato's hands began to form seals uncontrollably. "Heterogeneous Rinne Tensei Technique!" Zetsu commanded.
---
The Heterogeneous Rinne Tensei Technique was completed.
A howl of pain escaped from Nagato's mouth as he felt the life draining rapidly from his body.
Immediately afterward, the King of Hell emerged from the ground, exuding a majestic and ancient atmosphere.
"Nagato!" Konan cried out, her face etched with worry.
Though she and Nagato had parted ways due to differing paths, her old feelings for him had not waned. Seeing Nagato in pain, she couldn't help but want to intervene.
"Hehehehe...little girl, you'd better not act rashly," Black Zetsu's hoarse voice echoed. "We are at the most critical stage of the operation. If you act carelessly, Nagato's sacrifice may become meaningless."
Hearing his words, Konan could only stop helplessly. Black Zetsu and Nagato had merged into one, leaving her uncertain of how to help him.
After a while, Nagato's howling ceased, and the abundant vitality in his body vanished. Everything fell silent again. The King of Hell, summoned by Nagato, opened its mouth wide. From the deepest darkness, a figure slowly emerged.
Snap.
Snap.
Snap.
With each sound of footsteps, a man walked out. He wore dark red Sengoku armor, scarred from countless battles. His long hair hung casually over his shoulders, and his empty eye sockets were particularly striking. After standing still, he placed his hand on his chest.
"Z...D...ASE..."
The man muttered to himself and then smiled. "A young and energetic heartbeat... It's been such a long time!" His smile grew deeper.
"D...¤'¤'¤'¤'¤…"
Finally, the man raised his right arm, covered his forehead with his hand, and laughed loudly, drawing everyone's attention, including Senju Takuya.
"As expected of Uchiha Madara," Takuya remarked, watching the man with a sigh. "The Uchiha sure do have a distinctive way of laughing."
After a while, the man's laughter subsided, and his expression returned to calm.
"Zetsu, has our plan been successful?" Madara asked.
"Madara-sama, no. Our plan encountered some issues, so we had to resurrect you earlier than planned," Black Zetsu replied respectfully.
"Something went wrong with the plan?" Madara nodded, his face impassive, as if nothing in the world could perturb him. "Zetsu, explain briefly."
"Madara-sama, during your time in the Pure Land, I transplanted White Zetsu cells into Nagato's body as per your instructions and helped him fully control the Rinnegan's power. However, Nagato was defeated. When he was about to commit suicide, I took control of his body and activated the Rinne Tensei Technique," Black Zetsu explained slowly.
"Oh? Nagato, with no physical issues and fully in control of the Rinnegan, was defeated?" Madara looked slightly surprised. Nagato, enhanced with White Zetsu cells and the Rinnegan, had achieved super Kage-level strength, comparable to his own in his prime. Yet, he was still defeated?
During his time in the Pure Land, some incredible individuals must have emerged in the ninja world.
"Is this the man who defeated Nagato?" Madara stared at Takuya, seemingly able to see everything around him despite his empty eye sockets.
"Yes, Madara-sama. The man before you is Senju Takuya, the current Hokage of Konoha and leader of the Senju clan. You have noticed him before," Black Zetsu replied slowly.
"A Senju...," Madara muttered, nodding silently. He then extracted the Rinnegan from Nagato's eye socket and inserted it back into his own, his strong physical constitution allowing for a quick recovery.
"Damn it, you bastard!" Konan yelled angrily, witnessing the scene. She couldn't believe the man before her, wearing Sengoku armor, was truly Uchiha Madara, who had once pacified the entire ninja world alongside First Hokage Senju Hashirama.
"Snort! Little girl, don't be so excited. I'm merely taking back what belongs to me," Madara said, dismissing Konan's anger. His focus returned to Takuya.
"Senju brat, since you are the current leader of the Senju clan, you must have heard of my name. I am Uchiha Madara, Senju Hashirama's greatest enemy," Uchiha Madara declared proudly.
"Of course, I have heard of Uchiha Madara," Senju Takuya responded calmly. "But it's not a name held in high regard. Just the name of a black-haired loser."
"Trying to provoke me with such low-level insults? Compared to Senju Hashirama, you are quite cunning," Uchiha Madara replied, unfazed.
"Just stating the facts. You've known Hashirama since childhood, and in all recorded battles, you've never won once. You founded the village with him, yet ended up fleeing as a traitor. Even your own clan abandoned you. Calling you a black-haired loser is merely stating the truth," Takuya continued calmly.
"What an annoying brat. When I chose to leave, I merely saw the inherent flaws in the ninja village system. Where there is light, there is darkness. The peace Hashirama hoped for can never come," Madara said, disdain clear in his eyes. He then raised his arms high. "Only my Project Tsuki no Me can bring true peace!"
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