As he drew closer, Kawaki finally saw just how battered Madara was.
Blood poured from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth, his face contorted into a hideously terrifying visage.
The empty eye sockets—especially the one with no eyes—sent chills down the spine.
All his limbs were grotesquely twisted at unnatural angles, with scattered chunks of flesh lying around him.
The ground beneath him had already been soaked through with blood.
"He must really be dead this time," Kawaki muttered.
He furrowed his brow slightly but still couldn't shake off his unease.
After all, when it came to Izanagi in Madara's hands, there was no telling what tricks might come out.
"Whatever. I'll just bring him back to the village and bury him."
"At least that way, the founder can return to Konoha in death."
Kawaki made up a rather flimsy excuse for his morally questionable actions, instantly feeling much better.
Gotta love myself! Moral high ground? Absolutely maxed out!!!
He pulled out a corpse storage scroll and carefully sealed Madara's body inside.
He'd already decided—he'd let Orochimaru "pay respects" first before burial.
An Uchiha Madara who'd undergone Hashirama cell transplantation? Kawaki was sure Orochimaru would lose his mind with excitement.
Once Orochimaru finished his research, Kawaki could casually ask for the results.
Now that's what I call true shamelessness!!!
After safely packing away the scroll, Kawaki glanced cautiously around until he spotted an amazing weapon quietly lying on the ground in the distance.
With unusually quick steps, Kawaki picked up the armored war fan (Uchiha clan emblem) and the massive scythe, giving them a few experimental swings.
"Not bad. Not bad at all. Fugaku's gonna bleed for these."
With practiced efficiency, he sealed both weapons into the scroll.
Suddenly recalling all the treasures still inside the cave, Kawaki turned back.
Thanks to the broken ceiling, the cave was now well-lit.
"This big guy won't fit in the scroll. I'll just leave it for Nagato to summon later."
Kawaki stared longingly at the *Demonic Statue of the Outer Path* before dragging his gaze away.
Even as just a shell, if someone could control it, it would be incredibly powerful.
Running around the cave, Kawaki collected quite a haul.
Several vials containing well-preserved Sharingan eyes—extremely valuable to both the Uchiha clan and Konoha alike.
A few White Zetsu corpses—devoid of consciousness yet brimming with life energy.
After only a brief inspection, Kawaki confirmed they were White Zetsu fused with Hashirama cells.
Bringing them back would definitely thrill Orochimaru and could significantly accelerate the practical use of Hashirama's cells.
After cleaning up the battlefield, Kawaki whistled cheerfully while making his way over to where Obito stood.
"Lord Kawaki."
"Have you finished your business?"
True to form, Obito hadn't moved from the spot Kawaki had left him. He probably didn't even dare to take a leak.
"Yeah. Do you want to come back to Konoha with me or something?"
Kawaki had zero intention of getting involved in the Land of Earth's ongoing war. Going back to Konoha was always his real plan.
"I... I want to return to Minato-senpai, if that's okay?"
Obito spoke hesitantly, clearly aware Kawaki wanted to keep his movements secret.
"Sure."
Kawaki didn't hesitate. Transporting someone was no trouble at all for him.
Plus, Minato carried the Flying Thunder God mark Kawaki had left behind—that was practically a given.
As for how Obito vanished and reappeared… Kawaki trusted Minato could come up with a believable story.
Maybe not even a single Iwa ninja noticed what happened to Obito!
"Is that mysterious old man really Madara Uchiha?"
Obito had tried his hardest to restrain himself, but he just couldn't help it.
To any Uchiha, Madara's name loomed like an unscalable mountain, bearing down on their very soul.
"Yes. There won't be such a person anymore."
Kawaki said confidently. With the corpse still in his grasp, he saw no chance of trouble arising now.
"Lord Kawaki, you're amazing."
"I was just listening from a distance and nearly scared myself to death."
Obito wasn't exaggerating too much. He'd seen Susano'o and Daibutsu—almost scared his pants off.
He couldn't imagine—was something like that actually within human capability?
"Just keep striving forward."
"Stacking Daibutsu over Susano'o—that burden's on you."
Kawaki patted Obito on the shoulder, but Obito completely failed to understand the second sentence.
Before Obito could savor those words carefully, he found himself already inside Minato's tent.
"Teacher."
Minato shot up from lying down, then visibly relaxed when he recognized the visitor.
He'd just shooed away a noisy bunch of kids under the guise of needing rest—they'd been giving him a migraine.
Kawaki had picked a great moment—otherwise, there would've been more effort required to explain things.
Kakashi and the others were at that questioning age—no detail too small to ignore.
"Mm."
"This kid is left in your hands."
"You and Nawaki should remain as you are. I can't appear publicly for now, so I won't stay long."
Minato hadn't even asked a question yet, but Kawaki had already decided to leave.
After dealing with Madara, he no longer had any intention of lingering around here.
"Yeah, got it."
Minato nodded obediently. Though countless doubts churned inside him, he kept them to himself.
If the teacher refused to speak, there must naturally be a reason behind it.
He just didn't realize Kawaki simply couldn't be bothered to explain.
"Familiarize yourself further with the changes in your body. What you experienced today is nothing short of a miracle."
"As to how far you can go, that depends entirely on your own efforts."
Kawaki turned and instructed Obito. After fusing with Hashirama's cells, his body had undergone significant changes.
The sudden surge in chakra reserves, Wood Release techniques—all this required time for Obito to adapt and learn.
Although Kawaki didn't know whether Obito would eventually unlock Mangekyō Sharingan in the future, for now, this result was undoubtedly favorable for Obito.
This chapter continues—more explosive action ahead!
A pair of Mangekyō Sharingan that never goes blind was indeed valuable to Obito, compared to being with Rin, it wasn't that significant after all.
Tears veiled by Kamui—wherever he turned, only Rin remained!
"I'll give it everything I've got."
Obito replied firmly, determination burning in his eyes.
Originally, he thought it'd be difficult to catch up to the steps of those talented companions again, but now circumstances had changed.
He knew this was his chance to rise stronger than ever.
Once he mastered Wood Release, there would surely be a foothold for him in Konoha—for real this time.
Wasn't that the dream of every kid—to become unstoppable?
"Keep it up!"
"I'm leaving."
Kawaki greeted Minato and then disappeared into the tent.
"Although I don't know exactly what happened to you, our teacher has great expectations for you."
"You should work hard, kid!"
Minato turned his gaze toward Obito. His smile was as warm as always.
"I will."
Obito clenched his fist, feeling the surge of chakra coursing through his body, his lips involuntarily curling upward.
"I should get myself checked... Rin won't refuse, will she?"
As his thoughts took a dirty turn, Obito's smile turned lewd.
"What kind of scheme are you cooking up now?"
"Just go find the person you want to see."
Minato smacked Obito lightly on the head, wearing an annoyed look. That grin simply didn't look like it belonged to a decent person.
"Hehe~"
"I'm heading out now."
Obito scratched his head guiltily and quickly walked away.
The discomfort in his body vanished entirely upon seeing his companions' smiling faces.
He waved off their concerns with a vague explanation, knowing this wasn't the time to talk about such things.
The fact that he had returned safely was already surprising enough, so Kakashi and the others didn't press further.
Time slipped away quietly amid sweet laughter, and before long, night fell once more.
Naruto: Starting from Pursuing Tsunade – Please bookmark this page: (m.