"White Zetsu, do you want to live, or do you want to die?"
Kitazawa turned his head slightly and looked at White Zetsu, his tone calm and steady, without the slightest ripple of emotion.
"I want to live!" White Zetsu answered almost instantly, without even a moment of hesitation.
On the surface, it was a being created by Uchiha Madara through the power of the Gedo Mazo, combined with Hashirama's cells.
But in truth, its origin went far deeper than that. It was the product of ancient humans who had fallen under the Infinite Tsukuyomi.
Simply put, it was born from the God Tree itself.
It had never truly been loyal to Black Zetsu, nor to Uchiha Madara. And it certainly had no intention of sacrificing itself alongside them.
Now that Black Zetsu had been captured and Uchiha Madara could no longer be resurrected, it had no other path to choose.
Submitting to Kitazawa was the only way to survive.
"You have considerable value. As long as you follow my orders, I won't kill you." Kitazawa smiled faintly and made his promise without hesitation.
White Zetsu's greatest usefulness lay in intelligence gathering. Its concealment ability was absurdly powerful.
Across the entire Ninja World, there were probably no more than three people capable of sensing its presence.
Kitazawa had already decided to incorporate it into the Anbu.
Once that happened, Konoha would gain access to intelligence from across the entire Ninja World.
But that was only the beginning of White Zetsu's value. Its utility extended far beyond reconnaissance.
For example, when used as a sacrifice for Edo Tensei, the resurrected Ninja could be restored much closer to the strength they possessed while alive.
Additionally, certain special White Zetsu units could possess Ninja and amplify their abilities.
In the original story, the most typical example was Yamato.
After being possessed by White Zetsu, Yamato's Wood Release power surged dramatically.
Though still inferior to Senju Hashirama, he nevertheless became a top-tier powerhouse in the Ninja World.
White Zetsu also possessed remarkable healing abilities.
Even someone like Uchiha Obito, who had once been reduced to only half a body, could be preserved and restored.
Even if White Zetsu had refused to submit, Kitazawa could have used the Rinnegan to control it by force.
After all, its functions were simply too numerous to ignore.
"This is a Flying Thunder God Mark." Kitazawa stepped forward, lightly patting White Zetsu's shoulder.
"No matter where you are in the Ninja World, I can find you."
"I understand!" White Zetsu replied immediately, displaying remarkable self-awareness.
"Nagato, I'll send you to Konoha Village first." Kitazawa paused briefly before continuing. "I'm going to meet that 'Uchiha Madara.'"
"Who is he?" Nagato asked, curiosity flickering in his eyes.
"A pawn selected by Uchiha Madara," Kitazawa answered calmly.
"I see." Nagato nodded slowly.
"This is for you." Kitazawa took out a scroll and handed it to him.
"Edo Tensei?" Nagato glanced at the contents and frowned slightly. "Are you asking me to summon someone?"
"Summon Uchiha Madara," Kitazawa explained evenly.
"There are certain truths that you might not fully accept if they come from my mouth. It's better that Uchiha Madara himself tells you."
"There's no need. I already believe what you said." Nagato shook his head.
"The things I told you earlier weren't everything." Kitazawa looked at him steadily. "For example… the truth about your parents' deaths."
Nagato's head shot up instantly. "What did you say?"
"To Uchiha Madara, you—blinded by hatred—were the easiest piece to control," Kitazawa spoke without any change in expression.
Nagato fell into silence. His fingers tightened unconsciously.
"As for the details, once you master Edo Tensei, you can question Uchiha Madara yourself."
Kitazawa did not linger any longer.
After sealing away Uchiha Madara's corpse, he grabbed Nagato's shoulder and activated the Flying Thunder God Technique.
---
In front of the Forest of Death.
Both the Gedo Mazo and the thousand-armed Kannon statue had vanished. But the destruction they left behind remained.
The ground was riddled with massive craters and fractures. What had once been open plains now resembled mountainous terrain.
However, at this moment, no one had the time to concern themselves with the altered landscape.
Tsunade and the others were waiting anxiously.
Although Nagato appeared to have lost, no one could guarantee that the Akatsuki Organization didn't have another contingency plan.
Suddenly, Kitazawa and Nagato appeared before them.
"Kitazawa!" Tsunade rushed forward immediately, grabbing his wrist. "Are you injured?"
"I'm fine." Kitazawa shook his head lightly.
"That's good." Tsunade quickly released him, forcing her expression back to calm.
"Are you… Nagato?" Jiraiya stared at the red-haired man before him, disbelief in his eyes.
"Jiraiya-sensei… long time no see," Nagato spoke after a moment of silence.
"You talk first. I still have one more matter to handle." Kitazawa was naturally referring to Uchiha Obito.
Earlier, after pursuing Zetsu and Obito, he had chosen to deal with Zetsu first.
Now, Obito and Konan were still at the location where Nagato's true body had originally been hidden.
If he delayed any longer, Konan might be in danger. Without waiting for further questions, Kitazawa disappeared.
---
"What's going on?" Obito stood stiffly, an ominous premonition rising within him.
Kitazawa should have appeared by now. But he hadn't.
Konan stood nearby, her gaze distant, her expression cold and unreadable.
"We're leaving now!" Obito made his decision instantly.
"Kitazawa has the Flying Thunder God Technique. He may have already gone after Zetsu and Nagato."
The moment those words left his mouth, his entire body froze. A terrifying sense of danger flooded his senses.
Obito slowly lowered his head.
Two blades had pierced straight through his torso. One of them had struck directly through his heart.
He turned his head stiffly. Kitazawa stood behind him.
In that instant, Obito understood. A Flying Thunder God Mark.
It must have been carved into him when Kitazawa grabbed his wrist during that earlier clash.
He tried to speak. Blood poured from his mouth instead.
With a simple twist of his wrist, Kitazawa shattered his heart completely. He withdrew the two chakra blades calmly.
Obito's body swayed once… then twice… Before collapsing to the ground.
"This is called returning the favor." Kitazawa smiled faintly.
Obito had ambushed him once. Now, the debt was repaid.
"Kitazawa!" Only then did Konan react, stepping forward instinctively.
"Nagato has already been sent to Konoha Village." Kitazawa reached out and gently pinched her cheek.
"Thank you." Konan exhaled in relief.
"Why thank me? You're joining Konoha Village as well." Kitazawa smiled.
"Mm," Konan remembered his previous words.
From now on, she would join the Anbu and remain by his side. The thought made her body feel slightly warm.
Knowing Kitazawa's temperament, she would undoubtedly be tormented until utterly exhausted.
But she did not fear it. On the contrary, she found herself anticipating it.
"He's already dead. Let's go." Kitazawa glanced briefly at Obito's corpse.
Konan nodded. Kitazawa grabbed her hand and activated the Flying Thunder God Technique.
In the blink of an eye, they appeared behind a massive rock in the distance.
Konan turned to look at him, confusion flickering across her face. Hadn't he said they were returning to Konoha Village?
"Shh." Kitazawa placed his index finger gently against Konan's soft lips and said in a low voice, "Wait ten minutes."
The duration of Uchiha Obito's Izanagi was exactly ten minutes.
In the original story, one of his Mangekyo Sharingan had been given to Kakashi Hatake.
Although he had not taken it back after assuming the identity of "Uchiha Madara," he had installed another Three-Tomoe Sharingan in its place.
The price of using Izanagi was the blindness of one Three-Tomoe Sharingan. In other words, Uchiha Obito could use Izanagi at most once.
Ten minutes passed quickly.
Obito's corpse suddenly twitched.
The two puncture wounds on his body began healing at a strange and unnatural speed, as though they had never existed.
His shattered heart started beating again.
Obito abruptly sat up. The moment consciousness returned, he instinctively activated Kamui.
In the next second, two blades passed through his body. But because he had turned intangible in time, no damage was inflicted.
"You've certainly become a little smarter." Kitazawa chuckled lightly.
"You… how do you know about Izanagi?" Obito's voice trembled with shock and horror.
"Why shouldn't I know?" Kitazawa replied casually. "I am the Sixth Hokage, after all."
Obito's expression darkened immediately.
There was anger. There was hatred. But more than anything, there was fear.
There was no doubt that Kitazawa had already locked onto him.
The most troublesome part was that he could neither defeat Kitazawa nor erase the Flying Thunder God Mark carved onto his body.
Obito's expression flickered uncertainly. Was his only option now to run?
Kamui's intangibility could last five minutes. That should be enough time to escape Kitazawa's immediate reach.
Moreover, thanks to White Zetsu and Hashirama's cells, the cooldown for Kamui was not very long.
As long as Kitazawa did not launch relentless consecutive attacks, he would have opportunities to breathe and reactivate Kamui.
The only unknown was how far Kitazawa could sense the Flying Thunder God Mark.
If he could not escape that sensing range, then running would be meaningless.
In other words, he could only gamble.
Uchiha Obito clenched his fists unconsciously. He had never imagined he would be reduced to such a state.
Ever since awakening the Mangekyo Sharingan, he had moved freely through the Ninja World, coming and going at will.
The only true setback he had ever suffered was at the hands of Minato Namikaze.
But the pressure Kitazawa now exerted on him far surpassed Minato's.
"Have you figured out how you're going to escape yet?" Kitazawa asked unhurriedly.
"I will definitely kill you!" Provoked by that calm tone, Obito shouted in fury.
At that moment, he made his decision. Escape.
There was no way he could defeat Kitazawa head-on. But Black Zetsu might.
Black Zetsu was mysterious and extraordinary, claiming to be the will of Uchiha Madara.
Most importantly, it had gone alone to see Nagato, most likely to retrieve the Rinnegan.
If he could obtain the Rinnegan, his strength would surely surpass Nagato's.
And then, there would be hope.
"Don't you only have five minutes?" Kitazawa tilted his head slightly. "How do you still have the mood to talk nonsense?"
"You—" Obito, who had just prepared to escape, froze in place.
Disbelief spread across his face. It was as if he had been struck by lightning.
"You want to ask how I know your Kamui only lasts five minutes?" Kitazawa smiled faintly. "You can go to the Pure Land and ask the Six Paths Sage."
"Bastard!" Obito's body trembled with rage.
But beneath the rage was terror. If Kitazawa knew the time limit of Kamui… Could he still escape?
"The small talk is over." Kitazawa's voice turned cold.
"Struggle for your life." He brought his hands together.
Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence!
Chakra surged outward with him at the center. In the blink of an eye, a dense forest spread across the land.
Under Kitazawa's will, the forest moved. Countless branches and vines lashed toward Uchiha Obito like sharpened blades.
Yet every attack passed harmlessly through his intangible body.
Kitazawa remained composed.
Obito, however, felt no relief. Because only four minutes remained.
He gritted his teeth and turned to run.
Kitazawa did not chase immediately.
But the forest did. Branches and vines pursued Obito relentlessly.
Even after he left the original range of Deep Forest Emergence, new trees sprouted wherever he ran.
The forest expanded endlessly.
Kitazawa clasped his hands once more. Wood Release: Wood Dragon Technique!
A colossal Wood Dragon rose beneath him. It lifted him high and surged forward, chasing Obito.
Obito's breathing grew ragged. No matter how fast he moved, he could not escape the omnipresent trees.
It felt as though death itself was pursuing him. The pressure weighed down like a mountain.
Seconds ticked by.
"Aaaah!" Unable to endure the looming inevitability, Uchiha Obito roared hysterically.
"One minute left." Kitazawa's calm voice echoed.
Obito instinctively turned his head.
Behind him, an enormous Wood Dragon filled his vision.
Kitazawa stood upon its head.
Though tiny compared to the dragon's massive body, at that moment, he resembled a Shinigami.
His presence suffocated the air itself.
"No! Running like this is meaningless!" Obito clenched his teeth and suddenly vanished.
The moment he attacked, he would exit intangibility. His body would become solid and vulnerable.
But he had brought the Uchiha war fan today.
If he could block Kitazawa's counterattack with it, he might succeed in a decisive strike.
"A futile effort." With his Byakugan active, Kitazawa saw Obito appear behind him.
This time, he did not approach carelessly.
Instead, he stood at a distance and activated—Wood Release: Great Spear Tree.
Several gigantic trees erupted around him. They spiraled upward violently, attempting to crush him from all sides.
Sage Art: White Rage Technique!
Kitazawa did not move. A crimson dragon of light appeared from nowhere, carrying an orb in its left front claw
Which then exploded. Blinding light and invisible sound waves burst outward in all directions.
"Aaaah!" Obito screamed.
His vision turned pitch black. All sound vanished.
Agonizing pain erupted throughout his body. He had never imagined he would be defeated so instantly.
The plan he had just formed crumbled before absolute power.
Kitazawa was not surprised.
Even Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Sasuke had struggled against Sage Art: White Rage Technique.
At that time, Sasuke had already awakened the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan.
Yet he could not even maintain Susanoo under its effects.
If not for Itachi using Izanami, it was uncertain whether the brothers could have defeated Yakushi Kabuto.
Compared to them, Uchiha Obito was far inferior. Aside from Kamui, his abilities fell short of those of Itachi and Sasuke.
In simple terms, he was too weak.
With a swift Body Flicker Technique, Kitazawa appeared in front of him.
Without hesitation, he reached toward Obito's Mangekyo Sharingan.
In the next instant, Blood splattered.
Using precise Chakra control, Kitazawa extracted the Mangekyo Sharingan.
"My eye!" Obito's voice became even more shrill and pained.
Kitazawa did not respond. He calmly placed the Mangekyo Sharingan into a summoning storage scroll and sealed it away.
As for how to handle that eye, he had not yet made a decision.
He would soon receive Kamui as a system reward, so strictly speaking, he did not need this Mangekyo Sharingan.
Give it to Kakashi Hatake?
If Kakashi possessed Dual Kamui, his strength would undoubtedly rise to an entirely new level.
But the problem lay in Chakra consumption.
Even with only one Mangekyo Sharingan, Kakashi's Chakra reserves were pushed to the limit. Using it for extended periods left him severely weakened.
If he were to bear two Mangekyo Sharingan at once, the burden might very well cost him his life.
However, it was not as if there were no solutions.
For example, if Kakashi were to become a Jinchuriki, his Chakra reserves would increase dramatically.
Kitazawa glanced at the still-screaming Uchiha Obito. Without hesitation, he drew Zangetsu and swung it in a clean arc.
Obito's scream stopped abruptly.
In the next second, his head rolled onto the ground, and blood surged from his severed neck.
Kitazawa had no interest in torturing him.
Moreover, the five minutes of desperate flight earlier had already allowed Uchiha Obito to fully understand what true fear and despair felt like before death.
There was no need to prolong it further.
Kitazawa released Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence and Wood Release: Wood Dragon Technique.
The dense forest withered and receded, and the giant Wood Dragon dissolved into pure Chakra before dispersing into the air.
After a brief moment of thought, he also put away Uchiha Obito's corpse. This was to prevent anyone from resurrecting him in the future.
In the Ninja World, corpses were not always silent. Sometimes, they were more troublesome than the living.
With a flash of space-time distortion, Kitazawa used the Flying Thunder God Technique and appeared before Konan.
Konan saw him and immediately let out a quiet breath of relief.
"He is dead. You don't need to worry anymore," Kitazawa said with a faint smile.
"Mhm." Konan nodded softly.
After that, however, a trace of confusion and daze surfaced in her eyes. In less than two days, her fate had completely changed.
From being a core member of the Akatsuki Organization to becoming a Ninja of Konoha Village.
Not only her, but Nagato and the entire Akatsuki Organization had been overturned.
Everything had changed too quickly, so quickly that she still felt as if she were walking in a dream.
"What are you thinking about?" Kitazawa reached out and gently stroked her cheek.
"I'm just… not used to it yet," Konan answered honestly.
"It's normal." Kitazawa could easily guess what was going through her mind. "With time, you'll get used to it."
Konan grasped his hand.
At that moment, she felt an unfamiliar sense of reassurance. At the very least, Kitazawa was someone she could rely on.
"Let's return to Konoha Village." As soon as the words fell, space twisted again.
The two of them reappeared in front of Tsunade and the others.
"Nagato just told us about the Akatsuki Organization's situation and the Eye of the Moon Plan." Tsunade looked directly at Kitazawa. "Was that so-called Uchiha Madara captured?"
"I killed him." Kitazawa paused slightly. "I'll explain the details later."
Kakashi was present. Kitazawa had no intention of revealing the full truth in front of him.
There was no benefit in telling Kakashi that the masked man responsible for the Nine-Tails Rampage was his former teammate.
It would only add another layer of sorrow.
Sometimes, letting someone preserve a beautiful memory was the kinder choice.
"Alright." Tsunade nodded.
In the Ninja World, the line between life and death was thin.
Whether that so-called Uchiha Madara was alive or dead did not truly matter. If necessary, even the dead could speak.
"Kitazawa." Jiraiya stepped forward, his expression serious. "How do you plan to handle Nagato and Konan?"
"Do you have any suggestions?" Kitazawa asked calmly.
"I believe they should be allowed to join Konoha Village and redeem themselves through service," Jiraiya answered without hesitation.
He had three reasons.
First, Nagato and Konan had once been his students.
Though many years had passed, the teacher-student bond was not something that could simply disappear.
Second, although the Akatsuki Organization had become an enemy of the Ninja World, they had not caused direct harm to Konoha Village in this timeline.
This was unlike another possible future where Jiraiya would fall, and Konoha would be destroyed.
Third, the information Nagato had just revealed regarding the Eye of the Moon Plan made many things clear.
The deaths of Nagato's parents.
The death of Yahiko.
Everything pointed toward manipulation by that so-called Uchiha Madara.
From this perspective, Nagato had merely been a pawn, misled step by step into darkness.
"Let them join the ANBU first." Kitazawa paused. "The ANBU will monitor them."
He then turned to Tsunade. "Tsunade-sensei, what do you think?"
"You're the Hokage now." Tsunade folded her arms. "You decide."
As long as Konoha remained safe, she had no objections.
"Nagato." Kitazawa looked at him steadily. "From today onward, the Gedo Mazo belongs to Konoha Village."
"That's fine, but—" Nagato stopped mid-sentence.
His eyes widened abruptly. He felt it. The connection between himself and the Gedo Mazo had vanished.
Completely severed.
This could only mean one thing. Another Rinnegan wielder, one even stronger than himself, had forcibly seized control of it.
Nagato instinctively looked at Kitazawa.
The timing was too precise. The moment Kitazawa spoke, the connection disappeared.
Could it be… Did Kitazawa also possess the Rinnegan?
A storm surged within Nagato's heart.
If that were true, then during their earlier battle, Kitazawa had not even used his full strength.
"What's wrong, Nagato?" Jiraiya asked, confused by his sudden reaction.
"No… It's nothing." Nagato suppressed the turmoil in his heart. "You defeated me. The Gedo Mazo naturally belongs to you."
"Haru." Kitazawa gave an order. "Escort them to Konoha Hospital."
Nagato had endured two intense battles in succession. His body was already on the verge of collapse.
Fortunately, Kitazawa had seized control of the Gedo Mazo in time.
Without its burden constantly draining him, Nagato's body would slowly recover. Though the process would take time.
"Yes, Hokage-sama." Haru appeared alongside three ANBU operatives and respectfully led Nagato and Konan away.
"Everyone has worked hard today." Kitazawa turned to Uchiha Fugaku and the others. "The Akatsuki Organization has been dealt with. You may return and rest."
"Yes, Hokage-sama." They responded in unison before dispersing.
"You all should go back as well." Kitazawa gently stroked Hinata's head, then looked at Sasuke and the others.
After they departed, only Sarutobi Hiruzen, Jiraiya, Tsunade, Shizune, Kurenai, and Kakashi remained.
"This…" Kitazawa produced Obito's corpse.
"This is that so-called Uchiha Madara." He paused briefly. "He was also the mysterious masked man behind the Nine-Tails Rampage."
Tsunade's eyes narrowed slightly. "He looks familiar…"
"Uchiha Obito?!" Jiraiya immediately recognized him.
After all, this was Minato's student. He had seen Obito many times in the past.
"He's Uchiha Obito? That's impossible!"
Shizune exclaimed in shock. "If he's Uchiha Obito, doesn't that mean he killed his own teacher with his own hands?"
"Truly ungrateful…" Sarutobi Hiruzen frowned deeply.
--
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Read the complete novel on P@treon: P@treon / Arvinstorm
Check out my other novels:
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