Naruto: Passerby and Returnee

Chapter 534 The Chaotic Battlefield

"It looks really bad."

Seeing his carefully orchestrated pieces get ganged up on, Madara wasn't worried at all. Just as the Ten-Tails roared, Black Zetsu, who had been offline for a long time, finally came back online. He briefly reported on the mess the Eye of the Moon had made, and then brought some terrible news.

After Nagato's death, only one of his Rinnegan was recovered; the other was in Konoha's possession, but Black Zetsu has not found it to this day.

Not only was the plan a complete mess, but Obito almost ruined one of the necessary conditions for completing the Eye of the Moon. Should we say that this kid was too reckless, or that his opponent was too powerful?

Ban glanced at the two people who had been inseparable since landing, and already guessed where his eyes were looking.

"Isn't Madara going to help?" Hashirama asked, seemingly out of kindness.

"You'll let me go?" Ban stood with his arms crossed, looking nonchalant.

Izuna was somewhat heartbroken because his brother, who had never been wary of him before, was now completely oblivious to reason, single-mindedly focused on achieving the Eye of the Moon, even wary of Izuna himself. But what could he do? It was his brother's wish. He had agreed to join "Radiance" partly because of his brother; he wanted to fulfill the dream that a generation had sacrificed their lives for, but as he worked, he lost sight of what was right.

Whether the future that "Hui" can bring to this world is his brother's wish or his own seems no longer important. As long as true peace can come, it seems that even sacrificing one's life again doesn't matter.

But now, their paths have diverged. Izuna can neither deny "Ki" nor refuse her brother, so she has no choice but to place her hopes on others.

“Brother, if you want to go, I won’t stop you,” Izuna said with a sigh. “I’m your younger brother, and I will support you unconditionally.”

No one knows how damaging those words were to Madara; only those closest to him could notice the brief stiffness and shift in his gaze.

“Only by trying can we determine if a path is viable. Since you’re so sure, Madara, let’s give it a try. We’re here for you if we’re wrong.” Hashirama had even learned to be agreeable. He had learned from his past failures. He had failed to be a listener and had neglected Madara’s situation too much after the village was founded. As a result, he hadn’t clarified the rumors or solidified Madara’s position in the clan in time, which eventually led to Madara and the Uchiha clan being squeezed out of the core of power.

Simply trying to instill one's own ideas in someone is a mistake; leading by example is the only way to achieve subtle and gradual change. Only when one practices what one preaches can one become a role model for others and guide them onto the right path.

This is something Naruto has been doing all along; it's a method that has been proven to work.

Ban's expression wavered slightly. He changed his posture from crossing his arms to putting his hands on his hips, and his tone softened a bit as he said, "Don't think that I'll give up just because you say that."

Hashirama laughed and put his arm around Madara's shoulder, saying, "I sincerely hope you'll give it a try. How could I let you give up?"

"Stop touching me!" Izuna said defiantly, taking over Madara's other arm. He couldn't rest easy knowing that his brother was facing a major crisis that meant he no longer had to rely on him alone.

"...Even knowing that I am the one who started this war, are you still willing to stand on my side?"

From the moment he created the Eye of the Moon, Madara never asked for any recognition. He once showed his ambition to the person he respected most, but Hashirama at that time just thought he was crazy.

Fifty years later, he received recognition from two important people, which was hard for him to accept calmly. Time can change many things; not only had he changed, but Izuna had changed, and Hashirama had changed too.

His stubbornness remained unchanged, but his once passionate heart gradually cooled, and he became increasingly ruthless and unscrupulous.

Izuna was still the person he trusted most, but he could sense Izuna's resistance. In the past, the brothers were clearly of one mind, and they rarely disagreed except on decisions about the Kaleidoscope.

Hashirama changed the most. He became more gentle than before, and the fierceness of the First Hokage seemed to have been buried by him. His idealistic innocence was not worn down by time, but became more vivid and dazzling to the point that it could not be ignored.

Despite experiencing the cruelty of the world, one can still retain their original aspirations and believe in the beauty of the world.

Ban didn't understand, so he could only offer his respect.

"Yes, I do, brother."

"If it turns out that the Eye of the Moon method is not feasible, I will share the responsibility with you."

Even if it means going to the underworld together?

Even if it means going to the underworld together.

In the most conspicuous corner of the battlefield, the souls of the Warring States period reached a consensus, and the blue Susanoo finally broke free of its seal and headed towards the main battlefield.

Unrestrained, Obito was incredibly agile, showing no fear even in the face of a group attack. He first threw out long spikes specifically designed for the Tailed Beasts; once immobilized, their movements would be temporarily restricted. The most stubborn of them all, Kokuou, was at the forefront and the first to be hit, followed closely by Son Goku, who managed to dodge them with his nimble movements. Chongming was flying in the sky, making him difficult to pierce. The remaining Tailed Beasts didn't join the attack; instead, they were working together to create a massive Tailed Beast Ball, intending to blast the Ten-Tails into the sky along with the barrier.

Sasuke's Kurama mode couldn't be maintained any longer. He hadn't tried it much to begin with, and having become a Jinchuriki halfway through his life, his chakra synergy with Kurama wasn't high. So he turned and charged at Obito, trying to vent his anger and frustration on his enemy.

Naruto followed behind Sasuke, not taking the fight against Obito very seriously. When he was entangled by the Ten-Tails, he "accidentally" caused the Ten-Tails' chakra to resonate with the vessel sealing Black Zetsu. That dark thing, as expected of a creature that could survive for a thousand years, actually managed to seize such an unpredictable opportunity.

The moment the core was extracted, everything around it was dissolved, including the overburdened vessel. Black Zetsu seized that opportunity to escape and was now lying in ambush in the ground, deep within the most dangerous part of the main battlefield. Opportunities for him to take such risks were rare; Naruto had already confirmed through Black Zetsu's fragments that a portion of Black Zetsu was embedded within Obito's body, and that numerous fragments of Black Zetsu were scattered throughout the world.

After he captured Black Zetsu's main body, these fragments began to spontaneously gather through the land, tree roots, and White Zetsu, quickly converging near the battlefield.

Now, the main body has successfully escaped and merged with these gathered fragments, and its target seems to be Obito.

This is probably a plan to control Obito and bring him back to life, since Black Zetsu's best vessel has always been Madara Uchiha.