Chapter 149: The Stolen Six-Tails, Ishihara's Intentions
Ishihara looked at Uchiha Madara with a curious expression. Considering Madara was in an Edo Tensei state, Ishihara wondered if his Zanpakutō could send Madara back to the Pure Land (Afterlife) if it struck him directly.
"Hmph! If I were at my peak, you wouldn't stand a chance against me!" Madara declared arrogantly. However, Ishihara ignored him and rushed forward, slashing at him with the Zanpakutō.
Under Ishihara's deliberate attacks, Madara was finally struck by the Zanpakutō. Surprisingly, instead of returning to the Pure Land, Madara's form was scattered with a single slash and took quite some time to reform.
Madara looked at Ishihara's Zanpakutō with a mix of shock and horror.
What kind of weapon is this? It can even cut my soul!
The sensation from earlier was something Madara never wanted to experience again. Meanwhile, he inwardly cursed Nagato for his incompetence. Why is he taking so long to deal with the Nine-Tails? Was it really that hard to capture? He regretted lending Nagato the Rinnegan. If he had known, he would have instructed Obito to retrieve them.
Elsewhere, after Rin's death, Obito's power had grown relentlessly day by day. His only purpose was to revive Rin and create a world where she could live again. Within the Kamui dimension, Obito emerged victorious in his battle.
Standing over a gravely injured Kakashi, he felt a bitter sense of irony.
This guy still cares about me. But doesn't he realize? The day Rin died, I died too.
Obito left the Kamui dimension without hesitation.
Outside, Naruto, Sasuke, and Jiraiya were being drawn into a massive gravitational pull caused by black orbs. As rocks fell around them, Naruto watched Sasuke and Jiraiya get injured, feeling a heavy pain in his chest. He clenched his fists tightly, overwhelmed by frustration and anger.
Sensing Naruto's emotions, Kurama spoke within him.
"Release the seal. Let me out to help you. This opponent is incredibly strong!"
On the brink of rage, Naruto didn't hesitate. He entered his mindscape and tore open the sealed gate. Kurama burst forth with a mighty roar, transforming Naruto into the massive Nine-Tails.
With a single powerful strike, the Chibaku Tensei was shattered. As the rubble settled, the Nine-Tails—now under Naruto's control—opened its massive jaws. A dark orb began forming within its mouth: the Tailed Beast Bomb.
Nagato froze momentarily before swiftly dodging. This attack was far too powerful for him to absorb—it could only be evaded.
At that moment, a man appeared, catching the falling Sasuke and Jiraiya. It was Uchiha Itachi.
Seeing his unconscious brother, Itachi made a firm decision. Without hesitation, he gouged out his own eyes and transplanted them into Sasuke.
"This is the only thing I can do for you, my little brother," Itachi said softly. Sasuke's eyes began to change as the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan awakened within him.
With this newfound power, Sasuke would gain immense self-protection capabilities. After ensuring Sasuke's safety, Itachi left the battlefield, not wanting his foolish younger brother to see him.
Meanwhile, the Nine-Tails under Naruto's control had completely overpowered Nagato, forcing him into a desperate situation. Gritting his teeth, Nagato decided to unleash his ultimate move.
"Summoning Jutsu: Demonic Statue of the Outer Path!"
With a loud roar, the ground trembled, and a massive entity emerged—it was the shell of the Ten-Tails, the Demonic Statue.
The statue attacked the Nine-Tails with a massive swipe, but Naruto charged forward fearlessly. Within Naruto's mind, Kurama shouted urgently:
"Naruto, be careful! Don't let that thing hit you. It'll absorb your chakra—even mine!"
Unfortunately, it was too late. Naruto had already collided with the statue, causing a large portion of his chakra to be drained. Three of his tails disappeared as well.
However, Nagato wasn't unscathed. He could no longer sustain control over the Demonic Statue due to the immense strain it caused on him.
At the same time, elsewhere, Orochimaru barely had time to rest before being confronted by another man—Danzo, who was now under Black Zetsu's control.
Without a word, Danzo extracted the Six-Tails from Orochimaru's body. Ishihara rushed to intervene, but Danzo had already left with the Six-Tails.
Not only Danzo but even Uchiha Madara departed as well.
Ignoring them, Ishihara quickly turned to Orochimaru.
"Orochimaru, are you okay?"
"Not really. I didn't expect losing a Tailed Beast to feel like this," Orochimaru replied weakly, almost as if he had seen his ancestors beckoning him to the afterlife.
"Don't worry, Orochimaru. I won't let you die," Ishihara said confidently, placing his hand on Orochimaru's abdomen. Using both yin and yang energy, he began channeling natural energy into Orochimaru's body...